Nancy Fisk, Vice President of the Massachusetts Federation of Dog Clubs and Responsible Dog Owners (MassFed), recently shared the following report about the defeat of HB1346. Congratulations to all who helped make this victory possible!
On June 20th Massachusetts dog owners and breeders rallied in opposition to House Bill 1346 and sent a strong message to the Joint Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources. This Bill would make anyone who bred and sold puppies from more than one litter per year a commercial breeder.
The Massachusetts Federation of Dog Clubs and Responsible Dog Owners, and the AKC Legislative Department sent out the call for action. More than thirty concerned fanciers who testified in opposition to the bill answered that call. The passion and dedication shown by this group could not help but make an incredible impression on the Committee Members because, though the hearing started at 1:00 PM, our bill was not heard until after 5:00 PM and nearly everyone was still in attendance. The many people who testified did an excellent job of expressing how responsible breeders conduct themselves, and represented the fancy in the best possible light.
MassFed is extremely pleased with the support shown by the many dog clubs and individual fanciers in attendance. With continued support such as this we will have a powerful voice in the Massachusetts legislative process. On August 1st the Joint Committee voted not to send this bill out of Committee but instead to send it “to study”. This effectively killed the bill because now it will not come before the legislature for a vote. As the Chairman of the Joint Committee put it when speaking to the dog enthusiasts waiting to testify, “We get it”, and it seems they did.
Nancy Fisk, Vice President of the Massachusetts Federation of Dog Clubs and Responsible Dog Owners…