An Iowa House subcommittee is considering a bill on Wednesday, January 21, that expands and clarifies laws pertaining to dog ownership.
AKC encourages Iowa dog owners to contact the committee in support of House File 2016, a bill drafted with input from the AKC and some Iowa kennel clubs, which provides reasonable and important updates to verify dog ownership, and require shelters to scan a dog for a microchip upon arrival in order to quickly locate the owner if possible. (Scroll down for more information on contacting the subcommittee).
Summary:
Current Iowa law states that dog ownership can be verified if the dog is under six months of age or has a rabies tag affixed to its collar. As a result of this narrow definition, anecdotal evidence has shown that some owners whose dogs may have gotten loose could not satisfactorily prove that the dog belonged to them even though they had legitimate and reasonable evidence.
House File 2016 expands and updates the law to allow proof of ownership to be determined and verified in several ways, including:
- A valid rabies tag affixed to the dog’s collar
- A tattoo imprinted on the dog’s skin that may be visually observed.
- A device implanted under the dog’s skin that stores information in an electronic format, such as a microchip.
- A receipt or contract indicating ownership.
- A record of an ongoing patient-client relationship with a veterinarian.
- An otherwise documented history of ownership. (AKC understands that this could include, among other documents, AKC registration papers)
These clarifications are important to help a dog owner verify their right to their dog and provide flexibility. At the request of AKC and local clubs, the bill also requires a shelter to perform a full body scan for a microchip when a dog enters the shelter, and to do so again “prior to adoption, euthanasia, or transfer of ownership or possession of the dog”. AKC strongly supports this important provision to ensure every opportunity of reuniting a dog with the owner.
What You Can Do:
House File 2016 is scheduled to be considered by a House Judiciary Subcommittee on Wednesday, January 21. You may express your support in one of the following ways:
- Attend the subcommittee hearing:
January 21, 2026
12:00 pm
Room 19
Iowa State Capitol - Contact the members of the subcommittee and express your support for House File 2016. If you are a constituent, be sure to mention that when contacting them. Please also thank the sponsor, who is a subcommittee member, for sponsoring the bill:
Samantha Fett (Sponsor of HF 2016)
samantha.fett@legis.iowa.gov
Capitol Phone: 515.281.3221
Rep. Skylar Wheeler
skyler.wheeler@legis.iowa.gov
Capitol Phone: 515.281.3221
Rep. Aime Wichtendahl
aime.wichtendahl@legis.iowa.gov
Capitol Phone: 515.281.3221
AKC Government Relations will continue to monitor bills in Iowa impacting dogs. For questions or more information, contact AKC GR at doglaw@akc.org.