Issues at the City, County, and Metropolitan Levels, and in US Territories
CT, Meriden – In December, AKC and the Connecticut Federation of Dog Clubs and Responsible Dog Owners met with legal counsel for the city to request practical changes to recently released breeder and litter permit application forms. The city’s ordinance is likely to be updated to reflect changes to state law and AKC has secured meetings with the city’s legal counsel and animal control director to offer recommendations.
GA, DeKalb County – The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners approved an amended breeder ordinance at its May 13th meeting. Unless an owner is licensed by the Georgia Department of Agriculture as a pet dealer, female dogs are limited from producing more than one litter in any 12-month period, and are prohibited producing a litter before it reaches one year of age. The ordinance also prohibits those not licensed as pet dealers from transferring offspring less than eight weeks of age (unless a veterinarian recommends otherwise or if done for veterinary care), and requires them to notify the Director of Animal Services within 21 days after a litter’s birth. The Director will issue a unique litter ID number, and the county will create a public litter registry that would list the owner’s name, name and address of the treating veterinarian, and breed, names, color and markings, date of birth, for the name of both the female dog and the litter, along with the number of offspring produced in the litter. Litter owners would also be required to keep records that must be maintained for 12 months and be made available for review by the Department upon request. Click here for more information.
SC, Greenville County – On May 6th, Greenville County adopted an ordinance to address, as the sponsor put it when introduced at the January 21, 2025, council meeting, “too many dogs going to [the County’s] Animal Care.” However, the ordinance primarily lays animal population issues in the county at the feet of responsible breeders. It requires any person or entity engaged in the breeding and sale of dogs for provide in unincorporated areas of the county to register as a business, imposes minimum standards of care for anyone engaged in dog breeding, creates new cost-of-care requirements similar to state law, updates rabies vaccination and pet identification requirements, clarifies how the county will address nuisance barking, and prohibit the outdoor sales of dogs and cats. AKC will continue to work with local fanciers and enthusiasts to address ongoing concerns with the County Council. Click here for more information.
SC, Spartanburg County – On Monday, May 19, The Spartanburg County Council adopted extensive amendments to the county’s Animals ordinance. The proposal, which AKC expressed serious concerns with, would create new licenses for dog breeders, require inspections of their facilities, establish care and conditions standards for all dogs, and impose ownership limits. Click here for more information.