Legislative Alerts

The New York Assembly Agriculture Committee is considering a bill on Tuesday, February 9, that would clarify current law regarding minimum standards for dogs kept in outdoor shelters.  Current law already provides minimum requirements for dogs kept outdoors in inclement weather and extreme temperatures.  Assembly Bill 7033 contains reasonable clarifications to these requirements that would […]

Tennessee committees will vote on Monday and Tuesday on two bills of grave concern to dog owners. Senate Bill 2175 and House Bill 2303 would require regulation, inspection, and potentially high registration fees for dog breeders.  Exemptions in the bill for exhibitors, hunters, and fanciers are essentially meaningless. These bills would also authorize warrantless searches […]

Utah House Bill 132 will define a commercial breeder as “a person who for a fee or other consideration; maintains in a kennel at any time six or more dogs for breeding or six or more cats for breeding and sells, leases, trades, barters, auctions, or provides to another person the offspring of those dogs […]

A Wisconsin Senate committee is scheduled to consider a bill TOMORROW (Thursday, February 4) that is identical to the Assembly bill making it more difficult to reclaim lost dogs, or dogs seized on suspicion of a violation of a state animal law.  Changes of concern in the bill include: Shortening the time in which an […]

Wednesday, February 03, 2016 On Monday, February 8, 2016, the New Jersey Senate Economic Growth Committee will consider Senate Bill 63.  The bill repeals consumer protection laws for pet purchasers, prohibits the sale of dogs unless the transactions are conducted face-to-face, and requires pet shops to sell dogs sourced only from shelters and pounds.  Because […]

The Kansas House Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources is considering a bill this Wednesday, February 3, that will expand who must be regulated under the state’s breeder laws. The bill will also create new requirements for those who are involved in rescue and those who keep at least 4 dogs during any week for […]

Iowa already has some of the most restrictive breeder regulation in the nation.  Nevertheless, legislation has once again been introduced to expand the state’s regulation of dog breeders, hobbyists, fanciers, groomers, and rescues and require them to pay significant license fees.  Proposals are currently pending in both the Iowa House and Senate.  Iowa dog owners, […]

The Augusta-Richmond County Commission is scheduled to vote tomorrow on a proposed ordinance that would require spay/neuter for all impounded dogs and cats, regardless of the circumstances, and would enact additional problematic amendments to the city/ county animal ordinance. Concerned animal owners are urged to immediately contact commission members and respectfully ask them to VOTE […]

A Maryland Senate Committee is scheduled to consider a bill on February 11 that will provide further protections for owners of service animals.  Senate Bill 264 creates two new provisions that would protect service dogs and their owners.  It amends the crime of aggravated cruelty to state that a person may not intentionally inflict bodily […]

The NY Assembly has passed a ban on “debarking” and now the bill goes to the Senate Agriculture Committee. The AKC opposes A1679, which would restrict the rights of responsible dog owners to make viable, safe decisions on behalf of their pets in conjunction with their veterinarians.  Last year, the bill never received a hearing […]