I ND USTRY N E W S O F I N T E RE S T
By Jill Hourihan
The State of Animal Welfare We spotlight pending legislation affecting animals in five states.
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our state legislators have been busy working on new laws to protect animal welfare and prevent cruelty and abuse. Across the country, we are seeing more and more legislators debate the issues of dog breeding, pet shops, animal cruelty and more. Some of these bills do much to help protect animal welfare. Others, however, such as Missouri’s new House Bill 479, are designed to restrict data collected about animal health and well being. To assist you in being informed on potential laws that impact you as professional pet sitters, I have researched current legislation being considered in different states. Here is a roundup of some key issues being considered by elected officials in five states:
Louisiana LA H.B.710—Commercial Dog Breeder Registration Sponsor: Representative Thomas Carmody Currently in Louisiana, commercial dog breeders do not face any regulation at all, including the need to register with the locality. This bill would require all breeders to register with the parish (equivalent to a county) for which they reside. The bill would also include a requirement that commercial dog breeders be inspected annually.
Maine ME L.D. 335—Prohibition on the Sale of Commercially Bred Dogs and Cats in Pet Stores Sponsor: Representative Kimberly Monaghan It would prevent new pet stores from selling dogs and cats purchased from commercial breeders and require pet stores to sell animals from rescues or shelters. This would be a first in the nation law that could not Professional Pet Sitter · Fall 2015
only reduce the harm done in many pet stores, but could also bring Maine’s stray/ shelter population down very quickly. Supporters hold this law would also reduce euthanasia rates by increasing turnover at shelters.
Missouri MO H.B. 479—Certain Exemptions for Data Collected by State Agencies Under Missouri’s Sunshine Law Sponsor: Representative Jay Houghton This should just be called the “Animal Abuse by Corporations is Classified” bill. It would exempt animal health and environmental impact reports from disclosure requirements, effectively keeping information about animal abuse secret. It is a variation on the more common “Ag-Gag” bills, which make it a crime to report misconduct on the part of farms to the public.
North Carolina NC H.B. 159—Commercial Dog Breeding Care Standards Sponsor: Representative Jason Saine This bill is similar to the one in Louisiana,
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requiring commercial dog breeders to register with the state and setting minimum standards (food, water, exercise, veterinary care) for the care of the animals. The fine for noncompliance is small ($25 per animal) and limited to a total of $1,000.
Massachusetts MA Protections for Puppies and Kittens (HD 2126, SD 974) Sponsors: Representative Garrett Bradley and Senator Karen Spilka These bills would protect puppies, kittens and consumers by forbidding the sale of puppies and kittens until the animals are at least 8 weeks old. It also improves the state’s existing options under the “puppy lemon law” for families that unknowingly purchase a sick pet. It ensures pet shops only sell puppies and kittens from breeders that adhere to certain standards and don’t have significant or repeat violations of the Animal Welfare Act. n Jill Hourihan is the owner of Running the Pack Dog Walking and Pet Sitting in Boston. She is also the Chair of the NAPPS Animal Welfare and Law Action Team.
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