On May 15, House Bill 539 was introduced in the Ohio House of Representatives. This bill seeks to expand the number of dog breeders subject to state licensing as “high volume breeders” by redefining that group to include breeders with six or more breeding dogs who sell directly to the public.
Ohio law defines a breeding dog as an unspayed adult female dog that is used primarily for producing offspring.
Under current law, “high volume breeder” means an establishment that keeps, houses, and maintains six or more breeding dogs and does at least one of the following:
(1) In return for a fee or other consideration, sells five or more adult dogs or puppies in any calendar year to dog brokers or pet stores.
(2) In return for a fee or other consideration, sells forty or more puppies in any calendar year to the public; or
(3) Keeps, houses, and maintains, at any given time in a calendar year, more than forty puppies that are under four months of age, that have been bred on the premises of the establishment, and that have been primarily kept, housed, and maintained from birth on the premises of the establishment.
HB 539 would amend existing law by eliminating paragraphs (2) and (3) and define “high volume breeder” to mean an establishment that keeps, houses, and maintains six or more breeding dogs in return for a fee or other consideration, sells, adult dogs or puppies to dog brokers, stores, or the public. This new definition would vastly expand the class of regulated breeders in Ohio.
Having been just recently introduced, the bill has yet to be assigned to a committee. AKC will continue to monitor the legislation and provide updates as warranted.
For more information, contact AKC’s Government Relations Department at (919) 816-3720, or email doglaw@akc.org.