The AKC successfully impacted Pennsylvania House Bill 2525 by asking Senators to communicate with the commercial breeding community to address many of the unreasonable engineering provisions in the original bill. The bill, which makes extensive changes to Pennsylvania’s Dog Law with regard to the issuance of dog licenses, kennel licenses, out-of-state dealer licenses, kennel requirements, and inspections of premises and dogs, was signed into law on Thursday, October 9th.
The AKC Government Relations Department contacted each Senator in September and urged them to work with stakeholders in the commercial breeding community to address engineering standards, which were of particular concern to breeders in Pennsylvania. In conjunction with the Pennsylvania Federation of Dog Clubs, the AKC also conducted a Lobby Day event, providing all concerned breeders with the tools and strategies necessary to advocate for amendments to the proposal. In addition, AKC facilitated meetings with elected officials in Harrisburg. As a result of the AKC efforts and the organized and effective response of AKC breeder groups, many of the major concerns with the original language were addressed.
The new law also provides for the creation of the Canine Health Board, a regulatory body that will determine animal husbandry standards. The AKC will continue to address those issues through the regulatory and enforcement processes.
For more information about the bill, contact AKC’s Government Relations Department at (919) 816-3720, or e-mail doglaw@akc.org.
The AKC successfully impacted Pennsylvania House Bill 2525 by asking Senators to communicate with…