Two new bills have been introduced in Wisconsin, both of which seek to regulate those classified as commercial breeders and provide remedies for purchasers of dogs. Assembly Bill 567, sponsored by Representative Lothian, has been assigned to the Assembly Committee on Consumer Protection and Personal Privacy; its companion, Senate Bill 308, is sponsored by Senator Plale and has been assigned to the Senate Committee on Small Business, Emergency Preparedness, Workforce Development, Technical Colleges, and Consumer Protection. It is imperative that breeders and concerned dog owners contact their representative and their senator, as well as the committee members who will first consider this bill, to express their concerns with the current wording of the proposed legislation.
The American Kennel Club supports reasonable and enforceable laws that protect the welfare and health of purebred dogs and do not restrict the rights of breeders and owners who take their responsibilities seriously. Additionally, we support reasonable laws and regulations that are intended to protect the pet-buying public in obtaining a sound dog of the breed represented.
If adopted, the proposed legislation would:
- Classify those who sell at least 60 dogs in a year, or who have at least eight breeding female dogs, as “commercial dog breeders.” Such persons will be subject to:
- licensing requirements;
- annual reporting requirements;
- rules promulgated by the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection regarding minimum standards of care, engineering standards for facilities, and transportation standards;
- and investigations, inspections, and penalties
- Require any seller to provide remedies to a puppy buyer if the puppy becomes ill.
- Mandate that any person who sells a dog must also furnish a written description of the remedies provided to purchasers under this bill.
The threshold of “eight breeding female dogs” is vague and potentially problematic. Depending upon what qualifies as a “breeding female dog”, the provisions of this bill may apply to hobby breeders with one large litter of puppies comprised primarily of females. This threshold must be deleted or clarified—by better describing the age or characteristics of a “breeding female dog”—to ensure that this bill does not become an overreaching effort to regulate most dog breeders.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Contact your Representative and Senator and voice your concerns with the bill as currently written. To find both your representative and senator, click here.
Contact the members of the committees that will consider this bill and voice your opposition to the bill as written:
Assembly Committee on Consumer Protection and Personal Privacy:
Representative Thomas Lothian, Chairman
Room 306 North
State Capitol
P.O. Box 8952
Madison, WI 53708
Phone: (608) 266-1190
Fax: (608) 282-3632
Rep.Lothian@legis.wisconsin.gov
Representative Brett Davis, Vice-Chairman
Room 308 North
State Capitol
P.O. Box 8952
Madison, WI 53708
Phone: (608) 266-1192 or (888) 534-0080
Fax: (608) 282-3680
Rep.Davis@legis.wisconsin.gov
Representative John Townsend
Room 22 West
State Capitol
P.O. Box 8953
Madison, WI 53708
Phone: (608) 266-3156 or (888) 529-0052
Fax: (608) 282-3652
Rep.Townsend@legis.wisconsin.gov
Representative Samantha Kerkman
Room 103 West
State Capitol
P.O. Box 8952
Madison, WI 53708
Phone: (608) 266-2530 or (888) 534-0066
Fax: (608) 282-3666
Rep.Kerkman@legis.wisconsin.gov
Representative Jeffrey Mursau
Room 18 North
State Capitol
P.O. Box 8953
Madison, WI 53708
Phone: (608) 266-3780
Fax: (608) 282-3636
Rep.Mursau@legis.wisconsin.gov
Representative David Cullen
Room 216 North
State Capitol
P.O. Box 8952
Madison, WI 53708
Phone: (608) 267-9836 or (888) 534-0013
Fax: (608) 282-3613
Rep.Cullen@legis.wisconsin.gov
Representative Peggy Krusick
Room 128 North
State Capitol
P.O. box 8952
Madison, WI 53708
Phone: (608) 266-1733
Fax: (608) 282-3607
Rep.Krusick@legis.wisconsin.gov
Representative Christine Sinicki
Room 321 West
State Capitol
P.O. Box 8953
Madison, WI 53708
Phone: (608) 266-8588 or (888) 534-0020
Fax: (608) 282-3620
Rep.Sinicki@legis.wisconsin.gov
Representative Andy Jorgensen
Room 412 North
State Capitol
P.O. Box 8952
Madison, WI 53708
Phone: (608) 266-3790
Rep.Jorgensen@legis.wisconsin.gov
Senate Committee on Small Business, Emergency Preparedness, Workforce Development, Technical Colleges, and Consumer Protection:
Senator Robert Wirch, Chairman
Room 317 East
State Capitol
P.O. Box 7882
Madison, WI 53707-7882
Phone: (608) 267-8979 or (888) 769-4724
Fax: (608) 267-0984
Sen.Wirch@legis.wisconsin.gov
Senator Tim Carpenter, Vice-Chairman
Room 306 South
State Capitol
P.O. Box 7882
Madison, WI 53707-7882
Phone: (608) 266-8535 or (888) 249-8173
Fax: (608) 282-3543
Sen.Carpenter@legis.wisconsin.gov
Senator Jeffrey Plale
Room 313 South
State Capitol
P.O. Box 7882
Madison, WI 53707-7882
Phone: (608) 266-7505
Fax: (608) 266-7483
Sen.Plale@legis.wisconsin.gov
Senator Neal Kedzie
Room 126 South
State Capitol
P.O. Box 7882
Madison, WI 53707-7882
Phone: (608) 266-2635
Fax: (608) 282-3551
Sen.Kedzie@legis.wisconsin.gov
Senate Carol Roessler
Room 19 South
State Capitol
P.O. Box 7882
Madison, WI 53707-7882
Phone: (608) 266-5300 or (888) 736-8720
Fax: (608) 266-0423
Sen.Roessler@legis.wisconsin.gov
For more information, contact AKC's Canine Legislation Department at (919) 816-3720, or e-mail doglaw@akc.org.
Two new bills have been introduced in Wisconsin, both of which seek to regulate those classified as…