At its upcoming hearing on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, from 1PM – 5PM, the Massachusetts Joint Judiciary Committee agenda includes HB 1686 and SB 1254. Both would establish a commission to study the use of service animals in the state, including the fraudulent misrepresentation of them.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) strongly supports the rights of persons who require a dog to perform essential services to access as provided by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). We strongly condemn characterizing dogs as service animals when they are not; or attempting to benefit from a dog’s service dog status when the individual using the dog is not a person with a disability.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
AKC encourages Massachusetts residents to contact the Joint Judiciary Committee to express support of HB 1686 and SB 1254. Please address your comments to Chairs Edwards and Day, and email them to Talia.Quinn@mahouse.gov and Grace.Giordina@masenate.gov. All written testimony received by the Committee will be made publicly available.
Anyone wishing to speak virtually at the hearing may sign up to testify by completing this form before 5PM, Sunday, April 6, 2025. You will receive further instruction on how to participate directly from the committee.
Anyone wishing to testify in person may sign up on the day of the hearing, but are encouraged to sign up ahead of time by completing this form. The hearing begins on Tuesday, April 8, at 1PM, in Room A-2, 24 Beacon Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02133.
For more information, contact AKC’s Government Relations Department at 919-816-3720 or doglaw@akc.org; or the MassFed at info@massfeddogs.org.