Legislative Alerts

Please share this information with responsible animal owners in Washington County and Johnson City, Tennessee. The “Johnson City Press” reports that an animal rights lobbying seminar is scheduled for November 1, 2022, 6:30-8:00pm, at the Memorial Park Community Center, 510 Bert Street, Johnson City, Tennessee. Per the article, this event is hosted by the Washington County/Johnson […]

On Friday, October 14, 2022, Governor John Carney signed Senate Substitute 1 to Senate Bill 258 (known as Izzy the Cat’s Act).  It provides for the awarding of compensatory damages for injury or death of a companion animal as a result of a tortious act. As signed by the Governor, when these acts are committed, […]

The New Braunfels City Council voted this week 4-3 in favor of an ordinance that will prohibit pet stores from selling dogs sourced from dog breeders at a city council meeting on Monday, October 10. The ordinance is likely to receive final consideration at an October 24, 2022, meeting. This ordinance will limit pet choice […]

The Rockingham County Board of Supervisors has added a discussion regarding the proposed breeding kennel ordinance to the October 12, 2022, meeting agenda. Please note this is not a public hearing, rather a discussion among Board members with no action anticipated.  This discussion follows recent action by the Board of Supervisors to table the proposal […]

Two new Maryland laws that could impact dog owners are now in effect. The first requires that dogs left unattended in extreme weather have suitable shelter.  The other addresses “Cost of Animal Care” and requires individuals whose animals have been seized due to charges of cruelty or severe neglect to pay the cost of caring […]

The Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) is proposing regulatory amendments to the rules for Retriever or Bird Dog Trials.  Interested purebred dog enthusiasts who participate in field events in Massachusetts are encouraged to review the proposed changes and share comments or concerns with DFW. The proposal would: Allow field trials to occur on […]

After receiving public comment on a proposed Dog Kennel Ordinance, the Rockingham County, VA, Board of Supervisors voted to table the proposal at its September 28 public hearing. As noted in a previous alert, the proposed ordinance could have impacted local hobby kennels.  Although some positive changes were made to the original version of the […]

This week, California Governor Newsom signed additional bills relating to animal welfare into law, including the following: Assembly Bill 1648 – Emergency Preparedness for Kennels Current California code allows for cities and counties to require a kennel license.  As stated in a previous alert, AB 1648 requires anyone registered as a kennel in their local […]

On Wednesday, September 28, 2022, at 6:00pm, the Rockingham County Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing and possible vote on a proposed Dog Kennel Ordinance that could impact local hobby kennels. The original version of the proposed ordinance was first presented and tabled by the Planning Commission on July 6, 2022 (See previous […]

On Wednesday, September 28, the Township Council of Montclair, New Jersey, will consider Ordinance O-22-26, which seeks to prohibit the retail sales of dog or cats sourced from breeders by pet stores and boarding kennels.  It would permit pet stores to provide space to animal rescues and shelters to display dogs and cats available for […]