The American Kennel Club has been tracking two bills affecting dog breeders in Arizona and they both have missed legislative deadlines and will not advance this session.
SB 1539 would have imposed arbitrary, one-size-fits-all mandates on animal breeders and harm responsible breeding practices without meaningfully addressing animal welfare concerns. The bill defined a “hobby breeder” as anyone producing two or more litters per year and led home-based breeders to burdensome commercial regulations.
SB 1675 sought to address concerns about roadside animal sales, but its overly broad language would have criminalized legitimate activities by responsible breeders and dog owners. The bill’s prohibition on “selling, marketing, offering, bartering, giving away, displaying, advertising for sale or advertising for adoption” an animal is extraordinarily broad and could have ensnared well-intentioned breeders.
The AKC thanks all who made their voices heard in opposing these measures!
AKC Government Relations (AKC GR) will provide updates as they are available. For more information, contact AKC GR at doglaw@akc.org.