Legislation

THE BULLDOG CLUB OF AMERICA
Division I

Legislative Alert for MA - An end run is being made by replacing a positive bill with a horrible one. Check MA below for information on H5092 and contact your legislators immediately regarding defeating this bill.

Legislative Alert for PA - The revision to the dog law H2525 has passed the House on 9/17 and is moving into the Senate. The revision to the Cruelty law, H2532, was voted out of the House at the same time. Check PA below for more information.

The list below covers current legislation introduced in each state in the division and is updated monthly. The Division Legislative Chair, Julian Prager, is available to any club that wants a presentation on effective lobbying and getting your message out to the pubic and legislators. Contact information is on the Governance page.

Fairfield - Dogs are allowed on all beaches from Oct. 1 through March 31, provided they are on leashes. Dogs are permitted off leash in Jennings if they are under voice command. All owners mush clean up after dogs on beaches.

Shelton - is looking into stricter control over dangerous dogs. There will be a committee meeting on Oct. 3 in City Hal at 7:00 PM to discuss alternative

Cape Elizabeth - Not picking up after your dog in Fort Williams will be subject to a fie up to $250 under a recently passed ordinance.

H5092 - mandates spay/neuter of all dogs at one year old, creates an intact permit with a fee for $500 for each dog and requires training on responsible dog ownership training for permit holders, limits these permits that have the physical appearance of a show dog (whatever that means), bitches cannot be bred more than once each year without permission from the township, gives almost unfettered discretion to animal control officers to seize, destroy or banish a dog, and a host of other things. check the language with the link above.

A902/S835 - establishes animal cruelty charges for chaining or otherwise restraining the animal or creature so as to deprive it of the ability to properly eat, drink, shelter itself, move sufficiently to maintain its mobility and good health, or avoid serious injury to itself.

A1173 - requires licensed dogs brought into NJ to be licensed in NJ within 60 days and increases fines for violation of licensing laws.

A1491/S815 - permits recovery of economic damages by the owner of a domestic companion animal injured or killed by another person's domestic companion animal after a court finding of owner of the animal causing the injury did not exercise reasonable care. Permits recovery for, among other things, the breeding potential of the animal, other costs of care, rehabilitation or replacement, unique r special value of the animal or lost wages due to the loss or disability of the animal.

A1591 - Defines a "breeding facility" as an structure in which more than two dogs are cats are housed and bred, defines a "breeder" as anyone owning a breeding facility and sells or offers for sale 5 or more cats or dogs per year and defines "pet dealer" as anyone who sells pets at retail or at wholesale to other pet dealers.. Limits breeding of dogs and cats to to time per year. Prohibits sale of pets less than 10 weeks old. Limits sales to 25 dogs or cats per year. Requires registration of all breeders. HSUS and NJSPCA will work with the Department to develop regulations for veterinary care for all breeding facilities. Every breeder who is a pet dealer must comply with the AWA and its regulations. Establishes requirements for facilities.

A1603 - designated "Congo's Law," defines the terms "provoked" and "unprovoked, " defines criteria for a finding that a dog is vicious, requires no finding of viciousness under specified conditions and provides for alternatives other than euthanasia for dogs declared vicious.

H2525 - Revision to the dog law. Passed by the House and is before the Senate. All amendments sought by the Pennsylvania Federation of Dog Clubs were incorporated into the House version prior to passage and PFDC now supports the bill. We are working with the Senate Committee to see that the bill is passed in time for the Governor to sign it this year.

H2532 - Revision to the cruelty law. Passed by the House and is before the Senate. The PFDC supports the amendments requiring veterinarians to perform c-sections and debarking and the provision that breeders may remove dewclaws and dock tails on puppies up to five days old. PFDC is seeking amendments to ear cropping to bring the current sections in line with the rest of the amended statute. They expect their amendments to be included in the final bill. Provisions of the bill need to be clarified so that the public will know what records must be kept and what proof is satisfactory to meet the statutory requirements.

H499 - Revision to the cruelty law is not expected to move this session. PFDC supports requiring those whose dogs are seized for cruelty to pay for their care while being held, but wants a revision to require restoration of expenses paid if they are found not guilty of the charges preferred.

H2417 - This revision to the Animal Destruction Method Authorization Law is not expected to move this session. PFD supports the bill provision prohibiting the use of carbon monoxide for euthanasia. PFDC opposes removing gunshot as an approved means of euthanasia. The AVMA define gunshot as a humane method of euthanasia when properly done. Furthermore, PA SART and veterinarians recognize that there are circumstances when gunshot may be the only means to relieve suffering in some circumstances.

H1065 - This revision to the cruelty law is not expected to move this session. This bill restricts tethering of dogs to to time of day and has other requirements. Tethering itself is not inhumane. PFDC supports reasonable restrictions on tethering that do not define tethering itself as inhumane. As originally introduced

H2553 - This revision of the dog law is not expected to move this session. This bill would permit local jurisdictions to increase penalties for the owners of dangerous dogs. As originally introduced, it would have permitted local bred specific laws. The sponsor has agreed to amend it to continue the current prohibition on breed specific legislation in the State. PFDC will support this bill with the removal of the breed specific language since it encourages responsible dog ownership.