Legislative Alerts

Michigan House Bill 4898, which seeks to limit the number of dogs that can be kept on a single premises and expands state authority to regulate  “large scale dog breeding kennels”, has been approved by the House Appropriations Committee and could be scheduled for consideration by the full House of Representatives very soon.  Michigan residents […]

Friday, October 23, 2015 On Wednesday, October 28, the Joint Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture Committee of the Massachusetts legislature will consider bills impacting the keeping of dogs.  House Bill 649 seeks to address the problems associated with the importation of animals intended for adoption, while Senate Bill 444 seeks to ensure that trainers of […]

VA UPDATE:  Tethering Hearing Postponed The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has just announced that the hearing scheduled for Tuesday, October 20, on the proposal to prohibit all tethering over 1 hour has been postponed. As introduced, this proposal would have prohibited tethering a dog for more than 1 hour cumulatively, regardless of whether the […]

The Michigan House Regulatory Reform Committee is scheduled to take public testimony on Wednesday, October 21, on a bill that as introduced creates numerous new regulations regarding shelter intake and release of dogs and cats.  The agenda for the hearing also indicates that the bill may include provisions “to include large-scale commercial dog breeders.” Summary: […]

Monday, October 19, 2015 The Joint Judiciary Committee of the Massachusetts General Court is scheduled to consider 20 legislative proposals concerning animals at its next meeting on Wednesday, October 21, 2015.  Included in the agenda are bills that deeply concern both the American Kennel Club and the Massachusetts Federation of Dog Clubs and Responsible Dog […]

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has scheduled a hearing for October 20 on a proposal that would, among other provisions, prohibit tethering a dog for more than 1 hour cumulatively a day – with no exceptions.  The proposal specifically states that this restriction is in place even if the dog is provided with the […]

The Iredell County Board of Commissioners is having a public hearing on October 6 regarding numerous proposed changes to the county’s animal control laws.  Several of the concerns originally mentioned by the AKC and local clubs have been addressed; however, there remains an unclear definition of “household pet”. The proposal defines a “household pet” in […]

September 30, 2015 Late yesterday, the U.S Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) released additional guidance in a Question and Answer format to assist pet breeders, brokers, adoption organizations, importers, transporters and other groups who may be subject to licensing under the federal Animal Welfare Act.    The Retail Pet Store […]

The Hempstead Town Board is continuing to debate a proposal that would regulate breeders, pet sellers, and mandate the sterilization of dogs prior to sale- even if they are only 8 weeks old.     Residents of the Town of Hempstead are encouraged to contact the Hempstead Town Board as soon as possible and respectfully ask […]

A bill has passed two Michigan Senate committees that would prohibit local governments in the state from enacting or enforcing laws that focus solely on a dog’s breed.  The AKC supports Senate Bill 239, which would ensure that local governments regulate dogs based on specific actions, rather than their appearance.  Governments could still pass animal […]