Consideration of an overreaching proposed animal ordinance in DeKalb County that seeks to place restrictions on pet breeders and on individuals who transfer/give away/sell pets has been rescheduled for Tuesday, November 19, 2024. The County Operations Committee (OPS Committee) will meet to discuss the proposed ordinance at 1:00pm at 178 Sams Street, Decatur, GA 30030. (The Maloof Auditorium, where meetings are ordinarily held, is undergoing renovations.)
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
- Contact members of the DeKalb County Georgia OPS Committee between now and the meeting on Tuesday. Respectfully ask them to reject proposed animal ordinance 2024-0190.
Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson, OPS Chair – (404) 371-2159, mdjohnson@dekalbcountyga.gov
Commissioner Michelle Long Spears – (404) 371-2863, mlspears@dekalbcountyga.gov
Commissioner Ted Terry – (404) 371-4909, ted@dekalbcountyga.gov
Committee Staff John Manson – (404) 371-6207, jwmanson@dekalbcountyga.gov
- Continue to contact other DeKalb County commissioners and respectfully ask them to reject proposed animal ordinance 2024-0190. Click here to identify your commissioner and their contact information.
- Always be a courteous, reliable source of factual information about dogs. AKC GR has been advised that anti-breeder activists are launching form letters and messages to commissioners that bash dog breeders and the AKC. Despite this, please stay on topic and always remain polite and helpful. Click here to view backgrounder information about the value of responsible dog breeders.
Among numerous other problematic requirements, the proposed ordinance seeks to:
- Require owners of female companion animals to obtain a litter permit prior to, or within one week after, the birth of a litter. A permit fee is referenced, but the amount is not provided. This permit would be in addition to federal and Georgia state-level dog and cat breeder requirements.
- Require that puppies and kittens may only be sold, given as a gift, or transferred from the location listed on the litter permit, subject to seizure if transferred at another location. This requirement appears to apply to ANY transfer of a puppy or kitten, and not solely transfers by a breeder. This also exposes individuals to risk if either the person transferring or receiving the pet acts in bad faith
- Limit the number of permits that could be issued to a household in any 12-month period; however, the proposed number is blank in the ordinance. It also would limit a female companion animal to producing one litter per year.
- Allow Dekalb County Animal Services to waive the fee for a litter permit for rescue groups and foster care providers that breed/whelp litters and sell/transfer pets.
- Require the litter permit holder to permanently retain for inspection the name and address of every recipient of an animal.
- Require the litter permit holder to be liable for medical costs up to the purchase price for any puppy or kitten “diagnosed as sick” within one week from the date of sale. The proposed ordinance fails to require veterinary documentation of illness, allow the seller/transferer of the pet to have it examined by their own veterinarian, or provide adequate due process for either the buyer or seller. AKC Government Relations has shared model legislation for consumer protection for pet buyers with commissioners and county staff.
Please contact AKC GR at doglaw@akc.org or call 919-816-3720 for additional information and to share updates.