Tomorrow, Wednesday, May 14, the Delaware Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on a bill that would remove the “Sunset” provision in current law that allows a person to receive compensatory damages for which a person who tortiously causes an injury to or death of a pet is liable. This is currently set to expire on October 14, 2025.
Those who wish may comment on this bill using the information below.
Summary:
Senate Bill 118 removes the sunset provision found in Senate Substitute 1 SB 258 passed in the 151st General Assembly. This bill permitted pet owners to pursue compensatory damages without limitation for veterinary bills incurred to care for a pet that was injured by the negligence, reckless, or intentional acts of another individual or that individual’s pet.
Under current law, a person is entitled to compensatory damages of the fair market value of the pet before death and the reasonable and necessary cost of veterinary care. Or, in the case of an injury to a pet, the reasonable and necessary cost of veterinary care. Unless otherwise extended, these provisions expire on October 14, 2025.
What You Can Do:
Those who wish to comment may do the following:
Contact the Senate Judiciary Committee members (click on the member’s name) prior to the 2:00 pm hearing Wednesday, May 14, 2025.
Provide Oral Testimony by attending in-person in the Senate Chamber, or by registering in advance to participate virtually. this webinar. Upon clicking the registration link, you will be directed to a webpage where you will enter required field information including name and email.
Submit Public Comments to the Committee in advance of the committee meeting or by 4:00 pm Thursday, May 15, 2025, via email to SenateJudiciary@delaware.gov.
Information on the hearing can be found here.
AKC Government Relations continues to monitor legislation in Delaware impacting dog owners. For questions or more information, contact AKC GR at doglaw@akc.org.