June 12, 2015
The Pennsylvania Senate Game and Fisheries Committee is scheduled to consider a bill on Tuesday, June 16, that would make several changes regarding dog training areas, including providing protections for dogs actively training or participating in field trials.
Background:
Senate Bill 77 creates a number of new provisions, including:
- Making it unlawful for anyone to “willfully, negligently or maliciously” kill, injure or interfere with a dog engaged in training or field trials within a designated dog training area, or to “negligently and maliciously” interfere with a person training dogs, participating in field trial events, lawfully hunting or trapping in a dog training area.
- Prohibiting anyone from “willfully, negligently or maliciously” destroying or removing any equipment, buildings, facilities or vegetation in a dog training area.
- Changing the minimum area for dog training areas to 50 acres (Current law requires dog training areas to be between 100 and 250 acres. The maximum area is not changed in this bill).
- Requiring written permission from the permittee of the dog training area before entering a dog training area or trapping any game or wildlife in a dog training area. Hunting or trapping furbearers or other protected game may be allowed in certain seasons as established by the Pennsylvania Game Commission with written permission. Written permission would also be required prior to hunting big game in a dog training area, unless the area has obvious signage stating that the area is open to the public for big game hunting.
- Requiring that any roadways, vehicle entrances or pedestrian pathways entering or bordering a dog training area be clearly marked prior to October 1 each year with either “no trespassing” signs or notices informing trespassers of the purpose of the area.
Those interested in commenting on this legislation may do one of the following:
- Attend the Pennsylvania Senate Game and Fisheries Committee hearing:
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
12:30 pm
Pennsylvania State Capitol, Room 8E-A, East Wing - Contact the members of the Senate Games and Fisheries Committee. Visit the committee’s website and click on the individual member’s names for contact information.
AKC Government Relations will continue to monitor this legislation and provide information as this bill advances. For the latest status, contact AKC Government Relations at (919) 816-3720 or doglaw@akc.org.
The Pennsylvania Senate Game and Fisheries Committee is scheduled to consider a bill on Tuesday, June 16, that would make several changes regarding dog training areas, including providing protections for dogs actively training or participating in field trials.