Today, North Carolina Senate Bill 460 was assigned to the House Committee on Commerce, Small Business, and Entrepreneurship. The House Committee on Finance will also consider SB 460 if the Commerce committee approves the bill. Both the American Kennel Club and the North Carolina Federation of Dog Clubs continue to oppose SB 460. Because the North Carolina legislative session is nearing its end, the proponents of SB 460 will attempt to fast-track this bill through the legislature, potentially voting on the bill as soon as this evening. Therefore it is imperative that all concerned responsible dog breeders and owners in North Carolina immediately contact the members of the committees, and their elected representatives, and let them know that you oppose SB 460.
The AKC opposes a number of problematic provisions in the latest version of the bill, including:
- Vague definitions of “commercial breeder” and licensing requirements. Commercial breeder is defined as someone who owns 15 or more intact females “of breeding age” and 30 or more puppies. It remains unclear whether these numbers refer to the number of dogs on the property at one certain time, or if this is cumulative over the course of a year. Additionally, kennels or establishments that operate for the purpose of boarding or training hunting, sporting, herding, show, or working dogs are exempted from the licensing requirements. However, the bill does not exempt the breeders of such dogs. It is also unclear if someone who trains show dogs, but also sells puppies, is exempt from the licensing requirement.
- New, problematic legislative findings. The new version of SB 460 inserts eight legislative findings into the bill. We believe that some of these findings are based on unsubstantiated claims. Furthermore, the findings claim that the bill does not interfere with a person's right to participate in hunting and working activities with their dog. The actual bill, however, states that only those who board or train dogs for show, hunting, working, etc. are exempted. Those that breed these dogs are still subject to the provisions of the bill.
- Directive for the NC Board of Agriculture to develop standards of care with no public input. SB 460 calls for the Department of Agriculture to develop care and condition policies for dogs belonging to commercial breeders. This does not allow for any input from dog breeders and others who are experts in animal care.
- Unclear enforcement provisions. It appears that the bill seeks to exclusively empower localities to investigate violations. However, should the bill be enacted, this provision would appear in a section of existing law that empowers the State Director of Animal Welfare to investigate violations. These contradictory provisions could effectively create an unfunded mandate in which localities would be responsible for the cost of state-generated enforcement activities.
- Create an online “registry” of all commercial breeders in North Carolina. If undertaken, this will result in an intrusion of the rights of hobby (show, hunting, working, etc.) breeders.
The American Kennel Club believes that SB 460 is simply unnecessary. By featuring only licensing requirements and no clear methods for enforcement of undefined care requirements, the bill will do nothing to protect the health or welfare of dogs in North Carolina. North Carolina’s existing animal welfare statutes, as currently enforced, do a better job of protecting dogs than the provisions of SB 460 will should the bill be enacted. The AKC believes that a better alternative to SB 460 is the continued enforcement of existing North Carolina law while all stakeholders work together on appropriate future legislation that will encourage better education of all responsible dog breeders and continued enforcement of existing law.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
All concerned responsible dog breeders and owners in North Carolina are encouraged to immediately contact the members of both the House Committee on Commerce, Small Business, and Entrepreneurship and the House Committee on Finance. Respectfully yet strongly let them know that you oppose the unnecessary Senate Bill 460, and urge them to do the same.
To find your North Carolina Representative, click here, then enter your zip code in the “Who Represents Me?” box on the right side of the page.
Members of the House Committee on Commerce, Small Business, and Entrepreneurship:
Representative Margaret Highsmith Dickson, Chairman
NC House of Representatives
16 W. Jones Street, Room 2217
Raleigh, NC 27601-1096
Phone: 919-733-5776
E-mail: Margaret.Dickson@ncleg.net
Representative Alma Adams, Vice Chairman
NC House of Representatives
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 304
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Phone: 919-733-5902
E-mail: Alma.Adams@ncleg.net
Representative Becky Carney, Vice Chairman
NC House of Representatives
16 W. Jones Street, Room 1221
Raleigh, NC 27601-1096
Phone: 919-733-5827
E-mail: Becky.Carney@ncleg.net
Representative Bruce Goforth, Vice Chairman
NC House of Representatives
16 W. Jones Street, Room 1220
Raleigh, NC 27601-1096
Phone: 919-733-5746
E-mail: Bruce.Goforth@ncleg.net
Representative Edgar V. Starnes, Vice Chairman
NC House of Representatives
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 503
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Phone: 919-733-5931
E-mail: Edgar.Starnes@ncleg.net
Representative Randy Stewart, Vice Chairman
NC House of Representatives
16 W. Jones Street, Room 1219
Raleigh, NC 27601-1096
Phone: 919-733-5802
E-mail: Randy.Stewart@ncleg.net
Representative W.A. (Winkie) Wilkins, Vice Chairman
NC House of Representatives
16 W. Jones Street, Room 1301
Raleigh, NC 27601-1096
Phone: 919-715-0850
E-mail: Winkie.Wilkins@ncleg.net
Representative Lucy T. Allen
NC House of Representatives
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 419B
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Phone: 919-733-5860
E-mail: Lucy.Allen@ncleg.net
Representative Marilyn Avila
NC House of Representatives
16 W. Jones Street, Room 1017
Raleigh, NC 27601-1096
Phone: 919-733-5530
E-mail: Marilyn.Avila@ncleg.net
Representative Hugh Blackwell
NC House of Representatives
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 606
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Phone: 919-733-5805
E-mail: Hugh.Blackwell@ncleg.net
Representative Curtis Blackwood
NC House of Representatives
16 W. Jones Street, Room 1317
Raleigh, NC 27601-1096
Phone: 919-733-2406
E-mail: Curtis.Blackwood@ncleg.net
Representative James L. Boles, Jr.
NC House of Representatives
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 501
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Phone: 919-733-5903
E-mail: Jamie.Boles@ncleg.net
Representative R. Van Braxton
NC House of Representatives
16 W. Jones Street, Room 2219
Raleigh, NC 27601-1096
Phone: 919-715-3017
E-mail: Van.Braxton@ncleg.net
Representative Larry R. Brown
NC House of Representatives
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 609
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Phone: 919-733-5607
E-mail: Larry.Brown@ncleg.net
Representative Nelson Cole
NC House of Representatives
16 W. Jones Street, Room 1218
Raleigh, NC 27601-1096
Phone: 919-733-5779
E-mail: Nelson.Cole@ncleg.net
Representative Bob England, M.D.
NC House of Representatives
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 303
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Phone: 919-733-5749
E-mail: Bob.England@ncleg.net
Representative Jean Farmer-Butterfield
NC House of Representatives
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 528
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Phone: 919-733-5898
E-mail: Jean.Farmer-Butterfield@ncleg.net
Representative Elmer Floyd
NC House of Representatives
16 W. Jones Street, Room 1311
Raleigh, NC 27601-1096
Phone: 919-733-5959
E-mail: Elmer.Floyd@ncleg.net
Representative Phillip Frye
NC House of Representatives
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 602
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Phone: 919-733-5661
E-mail: Phillip.Frye@ncleg.net
Representative Mitch Gillespie
NC House of Representatives
16 W. Jones Street, Room 1008
Raleigh, NC 27601-1096
Phone: 919-733-5862
E-mail: Mitchg@ncleg.net
Representative Ty Harrell
NC House of Representatives
16 W. Jones Street, Room 2121
Raleigh, NC 27601-1096
Phone: 919-733-5602
E-mail: Ty.Harrell@ncleg.net
Representative Bryan R. Holloway
NC House of Representatives
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 502
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Phone: 919-733-5609
E-mail: Bryan.Holloway@ncleg.net
Representative William C. “Bill” McGee
NC House of Representatives
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 531
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Phone: 919-733-5747
E-mail: William.McGee@ncleg.net
Representative Grey Mills
NC House of Representatives
16 W. Jones Street, Room 1111
Raleigh, NC 27601-1096
Phone: 919-733-5741
E-mail: Grey.Mills@ncleg.net
Representative Bill Owens
NC House of Representatives
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 635
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Phone: 919-733-0010
E-mail: Bill.Owens@ncleg.net
Representative Garland E. Pierce
NC House of Representatives
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 301C
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Phone: 919-733-5803
E-mail: Garland.Pierce@ncleg.net
Representative Ray Rapp
NC House of Representatives
16 W. Jones Street, Room 2213
Raleigh, NC 27601-1096
Phone: 919-733-5732
E-mail: Ray.Rapp@ncleg.net
Representative Ruth Samuelson
NC House of Representatives
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 418B
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Phone: 919-715-3009
E-mail: Ruth.Samuelson@ncleg.net
Representative Fred F. Steen, II
NC House of Representatives
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 514
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Phone: 919-733-5881
E-mail: Fred.Steen@ncleg.net
Representative Cullie M. Tarleton
NC House of Representatives
16 W. Jones Street, Room 2221
Raleigh, NC 27601-1096
Phone: 919-733-7727
E-mail: Cullie.Tarleton@ncleg.net
Representative Edith D. Warren
NC House of Representatives
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 416A
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Phone: 919-715-3023
E-mail: Edith.Warren@ncleg.net
Representative Michael H. Wray
NC House of Representatives
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 405
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Phone: 919-733-5662
E-mail: Michael.Wray@ncleg.net
Members of the House Committee on Finance:
Representative Paul Luebke, Senior Chairman
NC House of Representatives
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 529
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Phone: 919-733-7663
E-mail: Paul.Luebke@ncleg.net
Representative Pryor Gibson, Chairman
NC House of Representatives
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 419A
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Phone: 919-715-3007
E-mail: Pryor.Gibson@ncleg.net
Representative William L. Wainwright, Chairman
NC House of Representatives
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 301F
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Phone: 919-733-5995
E-mail: William.Wainwright@ncleg.net
Representative Jennifer Weiss, Chairman
NC House of Representatives
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 532
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Phone: 919-715-3010
E-mail: Jennifer.Weiss@ncleg.net
Representative Dewey L. Hill, Vice Chairman
NC House of Representatives
16 W. Jones Street, Room 1309
Raleigh, NC 27601-1096
Phone: 919-733-5830
E-mail: Dewey.Hill@ncleg.net
Representative Hugh Holliman, Vice Chairman
NC House of Representatives
16 W. Jones Street, Room 2301
Raleigh, NC 27601-1096
Phone: 919-715-0873
E-mail: Hugh.Holliman@ncleg.net
Representative Julia C. Howard, Vice Chairman
NC House of Representatives
16 W. Jones Street, Room 1106
Raleigh, NC 27601-1096
Phone: 919-733-5904
E-mail: Julia.Howard@ncleg.net
Representative Daniel F. McComas, Vice Chairman
NC House of Representatives
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 506
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Phone: 919-733-5786
E-mail: Danny.McComas@ncleg.net
Representative Larry Womble, Vice Chairman
NC House of Representatives
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 534
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Phone: 919-733-5777
E-mail: Larry.Womble@ncleg.net
Representative Kelly M. Alexander, Jr.
NC House of Representatives
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 632
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Phone: 919-733-5778
E-mail: Kelly.Alexander@ncleg.net
Representative Curtis Blackwood
NC House of Representatives
16 W. Jones Street, Room 1317
Raleigh, NC 27601-1096
Phone: 919-733-2406
E-mail: Curtis.Blackwood@ncleg.net
Representative John M. Blust
NC House of Representatives
16 W. Jones Street, Room 1109
Raleigh, NC 27601-1096
Phone: 919-733-5781
E-mail: John.Blust@ncleg.net
Representative R. Van Braxton
NC House of Representatives
16 W. Jones Street, Room 2219
Raleigh, NC 27601-1096
Phone: 919-715-3017
E-mail: Van.Braxton@ncleg.net
Representative Becky Carney
NC House of Representatives
16 W. Jones Street, Room 1221
Raleigh, NC 27601-1096
Phone: 919-733-5827
E-mail: Becky.Carney@ncleg.net
Representative Tricia Ann Cotham
NC House of Representatives
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 418C
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Phone: 919-715-0706
E-mail: Tricia.Cotham@ncleg.net
Representative Bill Faison
NC House of Representatives
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 611
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Phone: 919-715-3019
E-mail: Bill.Faison@ncleg.net
Representative Dale R. Folwell
NC House of Representatives
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 306A1
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Phone: 919-733-5787
E-mail: Dale.Folwell@ncleg.net
Representative Larry D. Hall
NC House of Representatives
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 417B
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Phone: 919-733-5872
E-mail: Larry.Hall@ncleg.net
Representative Sandra Spaulding Hughes
NC House of Representatives
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 537
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Phone: 919-733-5754
E-mail: Sandra.Hughes@ncleg.net
Representative Earl Jones
NC House of Representatives
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 536
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Phone: 919-733-5825
E-mail: Earl.Jones@ncleg.net
Representative David R. Lewis
NC House of Representatives
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 533
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Phone: 919-715-3015
E-mail: David.Lewis@ncleg.net
Representative Darrell G. McCormick
NC House of Representatives
16 W. Jones Street, Room 1211
Raleigh, NC 27601-1096
Phone: 919-733-5654
E-mail: Darrell.McCormick@ncleg.net
Representative William C. “Bill” McGee
NC House of Representatives
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 531
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Phone: 919-733-5747
E-mail: William.McGee@ncleg.net
Representative Bill Owens
NC House of Representatives
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 635
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Phone: 919-733-0010
E-mail: Bill.Owens@ncleg.net
Representative Johnathan Rhyne, Jr.
NC House of Representatives
16 W. Jones Street, Room 1323
Raleigh, NC 27601-1096
Phone: 919-733-5782
E-mail: Johnathan.Rhyne@ncleg.net
Representative Deborah K. Ross
NC House of Representatives
16 W. Jones Street, Room 2223
Raleigh, NC 27601-1096
Phone: 919-733-5773
E-mail: Deborah.Ross@ncleg.net
Representative Mitchell S. Setzer
NC House of Representatives
16 W. Jones Street, Room 1204
Raleigh, NC 27601-1096
Phone: 919-733-4948
E-mail: Mitchell.Setzer@ncleg.net
Representative Paul Stam
NC House of Representatives
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 613
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Phone: 919-733-2962
E-mail: Paul.Stam@ncleg.net
Representative Edgar V. Starnes
NC House of Representatives
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 503
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Phone: 919-733-5931
E-mail: Edgar.Starnes@ncleg.net
Representative Thom Tillis
NC House of Representatives
16 W. Jones Street, Room 1002
Raleigh, NC 27601-1096
Phone: 919-733-5828
E-mail: Thom.Tillis@ncleg.net
RESOURCES:
- For a sample letter to customize, please click here.
- For tips on how to effectively communicate with legislators, please click here.
- For a copy of our Disagree Diplomatically brochure, please click here.
For more information, contact the AKC’s Government Relations Department at (919) 816-3720, or e-mail doglaw@akc.org.
Today, North Carolina Senate Bill 460 was assigned to the House Committee on Commerce, Small…