Dog owners bear a special responsibility to their canine companions to provide proper care and humane treatment at all times. The American Kennel Club supports and actively promotes a wide range of programs to educate about responsible purebred breeding practices and the responsibilities of dog ownership. 

The AKC understands the challenges communities face in creating effective animal control ordinances.  AKC supports reasonable and enforceable laws that protect the health and welfare of all dogs and do not restrict the rights of breeders and owners who meet their responsibilities. The AKC opposes the concept of breeding permits, breeding bans, mandatory spay/neuter of purebred dogs, and arbitrary kennel engineering requirements based on the number of dogs owned or maintained.  Such requirements are ineffective, difficult to enforce, and unfair to responsible dog owners. Better alternatives are reasonable and enforceable performance-based standards that focus on responsible ownership and strict enforcement of neglect and cruelty laws.