A bill seeking to address concerns in animal shelters and to regulate hobbyist dog breeders, was recently introduced. The proposal, sponsored by Social Compassion in Legislation, insinuates that people who breed as few as ONE litter are contributing to animal shelter population concerns, and, therefore, should incur significant regulations.
What You Can Do:
Although the bill is not currently scheduled for a hearing in the state Legislature, it is important for those impacted to contact the author’s office and respectfully express your concerns with AB 1482. If you are a constituent, be sure to mention that when contacting his office:
Contact Assemblymember Bill Essayli (Dist. 63 – Riverside County):
- (916) 319-2063; bill.essayli@asm.ca.gov
Summary:
For the entire bill click here. Some of the key aspects are detailed below:
- Changes the definition of “dog breeder” from selling, transferring, or giving away all or part of 2 or more litters OR 10 or more dogs in the preceding 12 months. Depending on the breed, this threshold could impact those who have one litter in a year. Current law regulates breeders with 3 or more litters or 20 or more dogs during the preceding 12 months.
- Many localities in California use the state definition as a guideline when developing their breeder regulations.
- This new definition opens the door to future legislation further impacting hobby breeders.
Talking Points
- Large scale dog breeding is already regulated in California. Broadening the definition of dog breeding will only constrain enforcement with new targets on hobbyist dog breeding.
- Purebred dog enthusiasts and hobby breeders are not the cause of shelter overcrowding. When contacting the author, let him know if you are a hobby breeder and what steps you take to ensure dogs you raise never end up in the shelter.
- Further limiting the choices of Californians to select the dog of their choice will likely result in many people obtaining dogs that do not work for their families—and many of these dogs will end up back in the animal shelter system.
- The California Penal Code already holds accountable those who deprive animals of necessary sustenance or shelter and subject animals to needless suffering. These laws apply to all dog owners – including hobby breeders. It is not necessary to expand the definition to ensure dogs raised by hobbyists are protected.
AKC Government Relations continues to monitor bills in California impacting dog owners and will provide updates. For questions or more information, contact AKC GR at doglaw@akc.org.