SUMMARY
Proposed changes to Greenville County, South Carolina’s Animals and Fowl ordinance are currently under consideration by the Greenville County Council. Among its many changes, the proposal appears to require all “pet breeders”, including fanciers and enthusiasts who breed purebred dogs as a hobby, to register as a business and implement significant changes to their “facilities”, including private homes. The American Kennel Club (AKC) is deeply concerned with several aspects of the proposal, and encourages all concerned Greenville County residents to contact members County Council to express opposition to the proposal as currently written before its next meeting on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. (Scroll down to WHAT YOU CAN DO for contact information.)
WHAT THE PROPOSAL WOULD DO:
- Require any person or entity engaged in the breeding and sale of dogs for profit in unincorporated areas of the county to register their business.
- Impose minimum standards of care for anyone engaged in dog breeding.
- Create new cost-of-care requirements for owners of animals that have been seized that would be substantively similar to the state’s cost-of-care law.
- Update rabies vaccination and pet identification requirements.
- Clarify how nuisance barking would be addressed.
- Prohibit outdoor sales of dogs and cats.
Click here to review the proposed changes, in their entirety.
SPECIFIC CONCERNS
- Clarification is needed that hobby breeders are not required to register as a business. AKC is concerned that the proposal may be understood to require every hobby breeder in the county to register as a business. However, hobby breeders are not businesses. They conduct dog-related activities without a formal business organization or an occupational license. Moreover, hobbyists would not be able to provide IRS business identification information (i.e., EIN) required to register.
- Proposed space requirements need simplification. Several of the proposed minimum care standards feature “engineering” standards, including requiring enclosures or confinement areas to be based on the weight of a dog, not its size or type, and provide at least 12 inches of headspace above the tallest dog in the enclosure.
AKC is concerned that these prescriptive “engineering” standards are not grounded in sound animal husbandry requirements or practical results. For instance, requiring the same 100 square feet of space for a Bulldog and a Great Dane, the size of a small bedroom, would be effectively different for each, with much more available space for the Bulldog than for the Great Dane. Additionally, requiring an additional 12 inches of headspace above a Chihuahua, which typically is 5-8 inches in height at its shoulder, may actually present a safety risk for such a little breed. A
A better alternative is found in Greenville County’s current definition of adequate space, which allows variation based on a dog’s age, size, and breed. This type of “performance” standard is easier for breeders to comply with, would not impose new construction costs on them, or force them to give up dogs to comply.
- Dogs temporarily in Greenville County for events must be protected. The proposed definition of Space (adequate) in section 4-11 states that, “Crates, carriers, or small enclosures are not considered adequate space for long-term housing.” … and that, “Dogs may not be created for more than 12-hours in a 24-hour period, except when…recommended by a licensed veterinarian for medical reasons.” This definition implies that any use of a crate of more than 12-hours in a 24-hour period is long-term housing, but does not allow for dogs to be comfortably maintained in such enclosures when they temporarily travel to Greenville County to compete in dog events, like the Greenville Kennel Club’s shows. AKC believes the definition must be amended to explicitly state that this requirement would not apply to dogs temporarily in the County.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
First, concerned residents, including purebred dog fanciers and enthusiasts, in Greenville County, are strongly encouraged to contact the members of the County Council to respectfully request they do not approve the proposed animal ordinance as currently written. Council members may be contacted by phone at (864) 483-2474, or by email:
Councilman Benton Blount, Chairman – BBlount@greenvillecounty.org
Councilman Rick Bradley, Vice Chair – RBradley@greenvillecounty.org (Sponsor)
Councilman Joey Russo – Jrusso@greenvillecounty.org
Councilwoman Kelly Long – KeLong@greenvillecounty.org
Councilman Steve Shaw – SShaw@greenvillecounty.org
Councilman Curt McGahhey – CmcGahhey@greenvillecounty.org
Councilman Frank Farmer – Ffarmer@greenvillecounty.org
Councilman Alan Mitchell – Amitchell@greenvillecounty.org
Councilwoman Liz Seman – LSeman@greenvillecounty.org
Councilman Ennis Fant – EFant@greenvillecounty.org
Councilman Garey Collins – GCollins@greenvillecounty.org
Councilman Dan Tripp – DTripp@greenvillecounty.org
Second, concerned Greenville County residents are strongly encouraged to attend the County Council’s next regular meeting and express opposition to the proposed animal ordinance changes as currently written. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 6PM, Tuesday, May 6, 2025, at the Council Chambers, 301 University Ridge, Greenville, South Carolina 29601.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
AKC Government Relations (GR) will provide updates on Greenville County as additional information becomes available. For more information, contact AKC GR at doglaw@akc.org.