AKC Government Relations has been contacted by a number of dog owners who have family members serving in our nation’s armed forces and who are concerned by the range of breed-specific dangerous dog policies that exist on various military bases and in privatized military family housing.

Dangerous dog policies vary from base to base and across the services (the US Army, Marine Corps, Navy or Air Force). It is not uncommon for our service members to be transferred frequently from base to base, to be posted at joint-base housing complex, or to be assigned to a post with another service. Although such transfers can be a regular part of military life, they can also be hard on military families. The companionship of a family dog can help ease some of these transitions, especially for children.

Unfortunately, breed-specific bans can mean that when members of our military are transferred, they may be forced to either give up a well-behaved family pet or to find non-military housing that can be much more expensive and inconvenient – simply because of the breed of dog they choose to own.

AKC Government Relations has shared these concerns with members of Congress and is doing additional research on this issue. We are interested in hearing from any military personnel or families who have been impacted by these regulations. Sharing your story with us could help establish new policies that focus on breed-neutral dangerous dog policies.

Please contact AKC GR at doglaw@akc.org or 919-816-3720 if you, a family member, or friend has a story to tell about military breed-specific bans.