What does the American Kennel Club do?
The AKC is a purebred dog registry. Breeders register their dogs and litters with us. We do kennel inspections of breeders to see if they meet our requirements for care of animals. How big is the legal department, and what kinds of issues do you handle? There are three attorneys, me and two staff attorneys. I am in Raleigh, and the other two are in New York City. One case where the AKC has been involved is in Denver, where the city passed breed-specific legislation banning pit bulls and other types of dogs. Mandatory spay/neuter rules are popping up all over the country. We are against these kinds of restrictions, so we are ready to take on the legal fight. There are also contractual and licensing issues that the legal department oversees for our breeders. If a breeder or exhibitor violates our rules, with bad kennel conditions, breeder misconduct, or falsification of registration documents, we handle the administrative process and disciplinary actions. What is your biggest animal welf
