To: The American Kennel Club Board of Directors and AKC Sports and Events Leadership

Subject: Request to Permit Intact Dogs Enrolled in AKC Canine Partners to Participate in Eligible AKC Sports

We, the undersigned dog owners, handlers, trainers, veterinarians, breeders, and supporters of canine sports, respectfully petition the American Kennel Club to remove the requirement that dogs enrolled through the AKC Canine Partners program must be spayed or neutered before participating in AKC sports.

We are not asking AKC to discourage responsible spaying or neutering. We are asking AKC to recognize that this medical decision should be made by a dog’s owner in consultation with a veterinarian—not imposed as a condition of participation in performance sports.

The Current Rule Creates Unequal Treatment
Dogs enrolled through AKC Canine Partners must currently be spayed or neutered, while intact AKC-registered purebred dogs may participate in many of the same performance events.

A dog’s eligibility to compete in agility, scent work, dock diving, obedience, rally, tracking, Fast CAT, Coursing Ability Tests, and similar sports should be determined by its health, training, behavior, and ability—not by whether it has undergone removal of its reproductive organs.

Mixed-breed dogs and dogs without traditional AKC registration should receive the same opportunity to compete intact under responsible handlers.

Current Veterinary Evidence Does Not Support a Blanket Requirement
Veterinary research increasingly shows that the effects of spaying and neutering vary according to a dog’s breed, sex, size, age, health, lifestyle, and intended activity.

A 2024 study from researchers at the University of California, Davis, evaluated neutering-related health outcomes across 40 breeds. The researchers concluded:

“These results further emphasize the importance of personalized decisions regarding the neutering of dogs, considering the dog’s breed, sex, and context.”
The study reported that early neutering was associated with increased risks of certain joint disorders and cancers in some breeds. It also noted that mixed-breed dogs weighing more than 20 kilograms—approximately 44 pounds—may have an increased risk of joint disorders when neutered early. Hart et al., Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 2024

An earlier UC Davis study involving 35 breeds similarly found major differences among breeds and sexes. The researchers stated:

“There were major breed differences in vulnerability to neutering, both with regard to joint disorders and cancers.”
For certain studied breeds, neutering during the first year was associated with substantially higher rates of hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, cranial cruciate ligament injury, or certain cancers. The results did not apply equally to every dog, which further supports individualized medical decisions instead of a universal requirement. Hart et al., Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 2020

International Veterinary Guidance Supports Individualized Decisions
The World Small Animal Veterinary Association published comprehensive reproduction-control guidelines in 2024. These guidelines recognize both the benefits and potential long-term risks of gonadectomy.

WSAVA states:

“For owned pets, such a decision should be made on a case-by-case basis in consultation with the owner.”
The guidelines further explain:

“Standard routine recommendations suited as ‘best practice’ for all animals cannot be made.”
WSAVA identifies orthopedic, behavioral, endocrine, and cancer-related conditions among the health concerns that must be considered. It also recognizes hormone-preserving alternatives such as vasectomy and ovary-sparing procedures. WSAVA Guidelines for the Control of Reproduction in Dogs and Cats, 2024

A blanket AKC rule requiring the removal of reproductive organs does not reflect this modern, individualized approach to veterinary care.

This Issue Is Especially Important for Canine Athletes
Dogs participating in performance sports place significant demands on their muscles, bones, joints, tendons, and ligaments. Their handlers often make careful health decisions based on veterinary guidance, physical maturity, breed or expected adult size, orthopedic risk, and athletic goals.

Requiring surgery for sports eligibility may force an owner to choose between:

Following an individualized veterinary recommendation;
Preserving hormones during physical development;
Protecting a dog’s long-term athletic health; or
Participating in AKC sports.
No responsible owner should have to make that choice solely because a dog is enrolled through Canine Partners instead of the AKC’s traditional purebred registry.

Responsible Ownership Does Not Require Mandatory Gonadectomy
Intact dogs already participate safely in many AKC events through other registration programs. Existing rules concerning leashes, supervision, aggressive behavior, females in season, and event conduct can also be applied to intact Canine Partners dogs.

Allowing an intact dog to compete would not give the owner permission to breed irresponsibly. Sports eligibility and breeding decisions are separate issues.

AKC could protect responsible participation by requiring owners of intact Canine Partners dogs to:

Keep their dogs under control at all AKC events.
Prevent unplanned breeding.
Follow event-specific rules regarding females in season.
disclose an intact dog’s status when required for event management.
Accept responsibility for behavior or disruptions related to reproductive status.
Comply with all applicable local animal-control laws.
These requirements would address legitimate event concerns without requiring irreversible surgery.

Requested Policy Change
We respectfully request that the American Kennel Club:

Remove the mandatory spay/neuter requirement from the AKC Canine Partners program.
Allow intact Canine Partners dogs to enter all sports and performance events for which Canine Partners dogs are otherwise eligible.
Apply the same behavior, safety, and event-management standards to intact dogs regardless of registration type.
Permit owners, together with their veterinarians, to determine whether, when, and by what method their dogs should be sterilized.
Establish reasonable rules for females in season based on the requirements and conditions of each sport.
Form a review committee that includes veterinarians, canine-sports participants, mixed-breed dog owners, event-giving clubs, and canine-welfare specialists.
Our Position
Spaying and neutering can provide meaningful benefits and may be the appropriate choice for many dogs. However, the available evidence also identifies potential risks that differ according to the individual animal.

Therefore, this petition does not seek to prohibit or condemn spaying and neutering. It seeks to end a blanket organizational requirement that overrides individualized veterinary decision-making.

AKC describes itself as an organization dedicated to advancing dog sports and promoting responsible dog ownership. Updating the Canine Partners policy would support those goals by expanding participation, respecting current veterinary evidence, and treating all canine athletes more equally.

We respectfully ask the American Kennel Club to review and amend this policy.

Petition organizer:
Josh Blount