This weekend marked the unofficial start of summer.  This means more time outdoors, more travel, and for many it includes spending time outside with their dogs.  

Lawmakers and law enforcement officers are also aware of this and want to ensure that dogs outside are not put in conditions where their health and safety are at risk.  

Often, this desire to protect dogs can lead to an increase in new laws being proposed – particularly on the local and county levels.  

AKC strongly agrees that no dogs should ever be kept in conditions where their health and safety are at risk.  Our concerns arise when lawmakers seek to equate weather conditions and ambient temperatures to what is safe for all dogs – regardless of a dog’s breed, health, age, training, or acclimation.  

In order to help lawmakers develop effective policies – and to help dog owners communicate with their local officials – AKC Government Relations has developed a new Tethering/Dogs Outdoors Key Issue page in the AKC Legislative Action Center.  

On this page, you will find a variety of resources emphasizing that laws regulating tethering and dogs outdoors must allow for flexibility.  This flexibility will allow dogs to enjoy activities in the weather they love, while still ensuring all dogs are protected.  Resources include AKC’s position statements, handouts for lawmakers, talking points, and even a brief policy video that’s great for sharing with lawmakers and also on your social media.

As with all our key issues pages, we are continually adding new resources, so be sure to check back often.  Also, if you have not yet subscribed to our monthly newsletter Taking Command, be sure to do so today by clicking on this link.  This will be the best way to find out about the latest resources we are developing to help you advocate on behalf of your dogs.

This key issue page is a preview of our new, updated Legislative Action Center that we look forward to fully unveiling later this summer.  Stay tuned for more announcements at www.akcgr.org!