A bill that would have regulated all dog trainers as boarding kennels is being rewritten, thanks to the overwhelming response from trainers and dog clubs across the state.
The amended bill will be considered by the Assembly Business and Professions Committee tomorrow (Tuesday, April 19) at 9:00 am Pacific Time. Scroll down for more information.
AKC thanks the many trainers, dog clubs, and dog owners across California who took the time to contact the author’s office and committee regarding this bill. Each and every phone call and email made a difference! The author’s office acknowledged that it was the response from trainers that led them to rewrite the bill.
Summary of Amendments:
As introduced, Assembly Bill 1901 sought to regulate all dog trainers as boarding kennels, which would have made it virtually impossible for most trainers to continue to train dogs in the state.
AKC asked dog trainers and clubs across the state to join us in opposing this bill and communicating concerns with the author’s office and the committee. And together, we made a difference!
As the official committee analysis states, “This bill [as introduced] is including and categorizing all dog training facilities into one category, which may result in the unintentional consequences for dogs, their owners, and access to effective and financially reasonable training services for communities.”
The bill amendments being discussed at tomorrow’s hearing will strike the requirements forcing trainers to comply with the same standards as boarding kennels.
Now, AB 1901 simply requires trainers to disclose certain information to new clients:
- The trainer’s name and address (this could include a P.O. Box)
- Whether the trainer is licensed or certified (Note: This does not stop those who are not certified from holding classes, they simply must state whether they are licensed or certified by any particular organization. Many trainers who are not certified may opt to provide a list of qualifications instead)
- The trainer’s training techniques and philosophy (AKC appreciates that the author removed the portion requiring trainers to state whether they use “negative reinforcement”, which could have been broadly interpreted).
- A written training plan describing the nature and goals of the training
- A statement whether there have been any civil judgements related to the dog trainer’s services (This is in place of the portion in the original bill regarding record keeping of all injuries. AKC and many trainers requested the injury reporting be removed, as accidents can happen and in no way reflect on the trainer’s ability or the safety of the class).
A written copy of this disclosure must be signed by both the trainer (to certify accuracy) and the client (to verify receipt of the disclosure).
AKC understands that all provisions regarding enforcement of this bill will also be removed.
Next Steps:
The amended version of AB 1901 will be considered TOMORROW (Tuesday, April 19) by the Assembly Business and Professions Committee. Further amendments may be requested by some outdoor sporting groups.
Those who wish to contact the committee may do so using the contact information for individual members found in AKC’s previous alert.
AKC Government Relations will provide more information as it is available. For questions, contact AKC GR at doglaw@akc.org.