On Tuesday, May 13, 2025, the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners is expected to vote on an amended Animals ordinance that will negatively impact responsible dog breeders. It is imperative that DeKalb County residents contact county commissioners immediately to request the ordinance be deferred to allow for further amendments prior to its final consideration.
WHAT THE AMENDED DEKALB ORDINANCE WOULD DO
Unless an owner is licensed by the Georgia Department of Agriculture as a pet dealer, the amended proposal would:
- Prohibit an owner of a female dog from allowing it to produce more than one litter in any twelve-month period.
- Require owners of a female dog that produces a litter to provide notice to the Director of County Animal Enforcement Services (Director) within 21 days of its birth, and provide detailed information about the owner, dog, and litter. A unique litter ID number will be provided to the litter owner.
- Establish a public registry of litter owners that lists the information required of the notice and the litter’s ID number. An owner’s address, the address where animals are housed, and the owner’s personal contact information would not be included, unless the owner provides written consent. The information is to remain in the registry for a minimum of 12 months.
- Require litter owners to keep records, to include all information required to be reported to the Director, plus a copy of each animal’s OCVI health certificate, any medical records, the date of transfer or death, and the name and address of the person acquiring each puppy. These records must be maintained for 12 months and be made available for review by the Director upon their request.
- Allow any animal enforcement officer to issue a warning for first time violations of Sec. 5-2, General responsibilities of owners.
AKC CONCERNS
AKC shares in the goal of all dogs receiving proper care and humane treatment. We appreciate that the amended DeKalb County ordinance will not impose additional fees on breeders to comply with the proposed requirements, and that it attempts to keep breeders’ identifying information from public disclosure.
However, AKC remains concerned that the amended DeKalb County ordinance lays the responsibility of the county’s animal population issues at the feet of its responsible breeders. It fails to demonstrate consideration of other ways pet population issues may be created, including current economic pressures and uncertainty, housing insecurity, and reductions in the availability of affordable, dog-friendly housing. The proposed amendment does not, and cannot, address these macro-level causes of shelter population increases.
AKC is also concerned with the purpose of a public list of owners of female dogs that have produced a litter. We appreciate that a private list may be helpful to law enforcement in locating irresponsible actors. A public list does nothing to improve compliance and could easily increase risks of dog theft and harassment of breeders by anti-breeder activists. Such a registry, and the information it contains, should be considered private and non-public.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
DeKalb County residents and those from surrounding communities are urged to contact DeKalb County commissioners and respectfully urge them to reject proposed animal ordinance 2024-0190 as currently worded. Click here to identify your commissioner and their contact information.
AKC implores everyone to be courteous to others involved in the political process, including to those that may not return the favor; and be the respectful, reliable source of facts about dogs and responsible breeding and ownership practices.
Click here to view information about the value of responsible dog breeders that can be shared with DeKalb Commissioners.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
AKC Government Relations will continue to provide updates on DeKalb County as developments warrant. For more information, email us at doglaw@akc.org or call us at 919-816-3720; or contact the Georgia Canine Coalition at outland@laberge.org.