Dog owners in Arkansas are urged to take action in support of House Bill 1519, a bill that seeks to prohibit a municipality or other political subdivision of the state from controlling or regulating dogs, cats, or other animals based on the specific breed or perceived breed of the animal.
House Bill 1519 is on the agenda of the House City, County & Local Affairs Committee, which meets next on Wednesday, March 8, 2023. The committee could vote on the bill during the March 8 meeting or at a future meeting.
What you can do: Contact committee members and respectfully ask them to: “Vote yes on HB 1519 as introduced.”
Representative Lanny Fite, Chair, lanny.fite@arkansashouse.org
Representative Milton Nicks, Vice Chair, milton.nicks@arkansashouse.org
Representative Wade Andrews, wade.andrews@arkansashouse.org
Representative Stan Berry, stan.berry@arkansashouse.org
Representative Rebecca Burkes, rebecca.burkes@arkansas.gov
Representative Frances Cavenaugh, frances.cavenaugh@arkansashouse.org
Representative Andrew Collins, andrew.collins@arkansashouse.org
Representative Carol Dalby, carol.dalby@arkansashouse.org
Representative DeAnna Hodges, deanna.hodges@arkansashouse.org
Representative Mike Holcomb, mike.holcomb@arkansashouse.org
Representative Ashley Hudson, ashley.hudson@arkansashouse.org
Representative Wayne Long, wayne.long@arkansashouse.org
Representative Mindy McAlindon, mindy.mcalindon@arkansashouse.org
Representative Tippi McCullough, tippi.mccullough@arkansashouse.org
Representative Richard McGrew, richard.mcgrew@arkansashouse.org
Representative David Ray, david.ray@arkansashouse.org
Representative Scott Richardson, scott.richardson@arkansashouse.org
Representative Johnny Rye, johnny.rye@arkansashouse.org
Representative Bart Schulz, bart.schulz@arkansashouse.org
Representative David Whitaker, david.whitaker@arkansashouse.org
The American Kennel Club (AKC) supports reasonable, enforceable, non-discriminatory laws to govern the ownership of dogs. AKC believes that dog owners should be responsible for their dogs and supports laws that: establish a fair process by which specific dogs are identified as “dangerous” based on stated, measurable actions; impose appropriate penalties on irresponsible owners; and establish a well-defined method for dealing with dogs proven to be dangerous.
Please click here for resources and talking points on Breed Specific/Dangerous Dog Laws.
For additional information, please contact AKC Government Relations at doglaw@akc.org.