Two committees of the Wisconsin legislature will consider separate breeders bills in a joint meeting on Wednesday, September 23, at 10:00 AM. The Assembly Committee on Consumer Protection and the Senate Committee on Small Business, Emergency Preparedness, Technical Colleges, and Consumer Protection will consider Assembly Bill 250 and Senate Bill 208. The American Kennel Club encourages all concerned responsible dog breeders and owners in Wisconsin to attend Wednesday’s committee hearing or contact the committees’ members with your concerns with the bills.
The American Kennel Club’s mission includes working to protect the rights of all dog owners and promoting responsible dog ownership. The AKC strongly supports the humane treatment of dogs, including provision of an adequate and nutritious diet, clean living conditions, regular veterinary care, kind and responsive human companionship and training in appropriate behavior.
Though the bills differ slightly, they will require:
- Animal shelters, animal control facilities, dog breeders, dog breeding facilities, dog dealers, and out-of-state dog dealers to be licensed. “Dog breeder” is defined as anyone who breeds, raises, and sells 25 or more dogs in a year. (AB 250 excludes from the definition anyone who sells 25 or more dogs in a year if those dogs result from three litters or less.)
- Inspection of facilities prior to licensure, and once every two years thereafter. Inspections may occur any time during normal business hours.
- Licensees to adhere to prescribed standards of care, including sufficient food and water, providing veterinary care, and providing proper enclosures for dogs.
- Licensees to keep detailed records regarding each dog kept on licensed premises.
- The Department of Agriculture to establish an advisory committee to assist in writing rules made pursuant to the bills.
The bills will also impose strict penalties for operating a facility without a license, including up to a $10,000 fine, or up to nine months imprisonment, or both.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Concerned responsible dog breeders and owners in Wisconsin are encouraged to attend the committees’ joint meeting on Wednesday, September 23rd, at 10:00AM, at 412 East State Capitol, in Madison; or, in the alternative, contact the committees’ members and express your concerns with the bills.
Assembly Committee on Consumer Protection
Representative Gordon Hintz (Chair)
Room 322 West
State Capitol
P.O. Box 8952
Madison, WI 53708
Phone: (608) 266-2254
Rep.Hintz@legis.wisconsin.gov
Representative James Soletski (Vice-Chair)
Room 307 West
State Capitol
P.O. Box 8953
Madison, WI 53708
Phone: (608) 266-0485
Rep.Soletski@legis.wisconsin.gov
Representative Sondy Pope-Roberts
Room 209 North
State Capitol
P.O. Box 8953
Madison, WI 53708
Phone: (608) 266-3520 or (888) 534-0079
Fax: (608) 282-3679
Rep.Pope-Roberts@legis.wisconsin.gov
Representative Thomas Lothian
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 Richard Spanbauer
Room 121 West
State Capitol
P.O. Box 8953
Madison, WI 53708
Phone: (608) 267-7990 or (888) 534-0053
Fax: (608) 282-3653
Rep.Spanbauer@legis.wisconsin.gov
Representative Kelda Helen Roys
Room 7 North
State Capitol
P.O. Box 8953
Madison, WI 53708
Phone: (608) 266-5340
Fax: (608) 282-3681
Rep.Roys@legis.wisconsin.gov
Representative Joel Kleefisch
Room 8 West
State Capitol
P.O. Box 8952
Madison, WI 53708
Phone: (608) 266-8551
Fax: (608) 282-3638
Rep.Kleefisch@legis.wisconsin.gov
Representative Dan Meyer
Room 308 North
State Capitol
P.O. Box 8953
Madison, WI 53708
Phone: (608) 266-7141 or (888) 534-0034
Fax: (608) 282-3634
Rep.Meyer@legis.wisconsin.gov
Representative Kim Hixson
Room 109 North
State Capitol
P.O. Box 8952
Madison, WI 53708
Phone: (608) 266-9650
Rep.Hixson@legis.wisconsin.gov
Senate Committee on Small Business, Emergency Preparedness, Technical Colleges, and Consumer Protection
Senator Robert Wirch (Chair)
Room 316 South Capitol
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 Jim Holperin
Room 409 South
State Capitol
P.O. Box 7882
Madison, WI 53707-7882
Phone: (608) 266-2509
Fax: (608) 267-0309
Sen.Holperin@legis.wisconsin.gov
Senator Randy Hopper
Room 108 South
State Capitol
P.O. Box 7882
Madison, WI 53707-7882
Phone: (608) 266-5300
Fax: (608) 266-0423
Sen.Hopper@legis.wisconsin.gov
Senator Mary Lazich
Room 109 South
State Capitol
P.O. Box 7882
Madison, WI 53707-7882
Phone: (608) 266-5400 or (800) 334-1442
Fax: (608) 267-6790
Sen.Lazich@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
For more information, contact AKC’s Government Relations Department at (919) 816-3720, or e-mail doglaw@akc.org; or contact AKC’s Wisconsin federation, the Dog Federation of Wisconsin, at www.dfow.net.
Two committees of the Wisconsin legislature will consider separate breeders bills in a joint…