The Minnesota House Committee on Government Operations is scheduled to consider House File 3584, which seeks to create a Companion Animal Board as the primary authority for regulating companion animals in this state. Concerned Minnesota residents are strongly encouraged to contact the bill’s sponsor and the committee members to express concerns with H.F. 3584.
Under H.F. 3584, the Board will be given broad powers to regulate animal welfare in the state. Although it requires that one “member must be a companion animal breeder”, the rest of the Board would be comprised of 12 other members, most of whom will not have the level of animal husbandry expertise and experience of breeders and sportsmen, nor will they be directly impacted by the board’s actions.
Minnesota Code already regulates kennels in the state, including licensing requirements and extensive regulations regarding kennel sizes and the care and conditions in which dogs should be kept.
The proposed Minnesota Companion Animal Board will consist of the following members, who must all be Minnesota residents:
1.) Two members must be accredited, licensed veterinarians who practice veterinary medicine;
2.) One member must be a Minnesota animal control officer;
3.) One member must be employed by a Minnesota licensed animal shelter located in the seven-county metropolitan area;
4.) One member must be employed by a Minnesota licensed animal shelter located in greater Minnesota;
5.) One member must be from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine;
6.) One member must be a current board member for the past two years of a Minnesota nonprofit animal rescue and re-homing organization qualifying as a nonprofit under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code;
7.) One member must be employed by the board of animal health;
8.) One member must be employed by a county or municipality representing community needs and local governance;
9.) One member must represent public human health and welfare issues and the relationship between companion animal and human health and welfare;
10.) One member must be a companion animal breeder; and
11.) Two members must be at-large public members.
As currently written, the bill gives the Board a broad range of powers to establish rules for “the collection, analysis, and dissemination of quantitative and qualitative data as it relates to companion animals in Minnesota”. The board will also be given powers to establish rules for “the licensing, enforcement, and inspection of kennels and dealers and the licensing, enforcement, and inspection of commercial breeders.”
The American Kennel Club (AKC) is concerned that, as introduced, H.F. 3584 does not provide adequate representation to those who will be most impacted by Board policy. The AKC believes greater representation of licensed entities will better ensure that reasonable policies may be set. Moreover, instead of creating a new Board, AKC believes that the state should continue to focus on enforcement of the state’s current substantive animal welfare laws and regulations.
What You Can Do:
Concerned Minnesota dog owners are encouraged to contact the bill’s sponsor, Representative John Lesch and Representative Rick Hansen, members of the House Committee on Government Operations, and their elected representatives in Saint Paul, to comment on this bill.
The committee is scheduled to consider H.F. 3584 on Tuesday, March 10th at 9:45 AM in the Basement Hearing Room.
Bill sponsor Representative John Lesch
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
State Office Building, Room 563
St. Paul, MN 55155-1232
rep.john.lesch@house.mn
(651) 296-4224
Bill sponsor Representative Rick Hansen
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
State Office Building, Room 407St. Paul, MN 55155-1232
rep.rick.hansen@house.mn
(651) 296-6828
House Committee on Government Operations
Representative Michael Freiberg (Chairman)
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
State Office Building, Room 509
St. Paul, MN 55155-1232
rep.mike.freiberg@house.mn
(651) 296-4176
Representative Duane Sauke (Vice Chair)
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
State Office Building, Room 593
St. Paul, MN 55155-1232
rep.duane.sauke@house.mn
(651) 296-9249
Representative Kristin Bahner
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
State Office Building, Room 525
St. Paul, MN 55155-1232
rep.kristin.bahner@house.mn
(651) 296-5502
Representative Jamie Becker-Finn
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
State Office Building, Room 559
St. Paul, MN 55155-1232
rep.jamie.becker-finn@house.mn
(651) 296-7153
Representative Steve B. Elkins
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
State Office Building, Room 515
St. Paul, MN 55155-1232
rep.steve.elkins@house.mn
(651) 296-7803
Representative Aisha Gomez
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
State Office Building, Room 529
St. Paul, MN 55155-1232
rep.aisha.gomez@house.mn
(651) 296-7152
Representative Erin Koegel
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
State Office Building, Room 375
St. Paul, MN 55155-1232
rep.erin.koegel@house.mn
(651) 297-5369
Representative Fue Lee
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
State Office Building, Room 485
St. Paul, MN 55155-1232
rep.fue.lee@house.mn
(651) 296-4262
Representative Leon M. Lillie
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
State Office Building, Room 367
St. Paul, MN 55155-1232
rep.leon.lillie@house.mn
(651) 296-1188
Representative Sandra A. Masin
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
State Office Building, Room 543
St. Paul, MN 55155-1232
rep.sandra.masin@house.mn
(651) 296-3533
Representative Michael V. Nelson
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
State Office Building, Room 385
St. Paul, MN 55155-1232
rep.michael.nelson@house.mn
(651) 296-3751
Representative John D. Heinrich
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
State Office Building, Room 211
St. Paul, MN 55155-1232
rep.john.heinrich@house.mn
(651) 296-1729
Representative Sandy Layman
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
State Office Building, Room 233
St. Paul, MN 55155-1232
rep.sandy.layman@house.mn
(651) 296-4936
Representative Jim Nash
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
State Office Building, Room 349
St. Paul, MN 55155-1232
rep.jim.nash@house.mn
(651) 296-4282
Representative Duane Quam
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
State Office Building, Room 247
St. Paul, MN 55155-1232
rep.duane.quam@house.mn
(651) 296-9236
Representative Tama Theis
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
State Office Building, Room 201
St. Paul, MN 55155-1232
rep.tama.theis@house.mn
(651) 296-6316
Representative Robert J. Vogel
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
State Office Building, Room 213
St. Paul, MN 55155-1232
rep.bob.vogel@house.mn
(651) 296-7065
Representative Nolan West
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
State Office Building, Room 331
St. Paul, MN 55155-1232
rep.nolan.west@house.mn
(651) 296-4226
To find your Minnesota State Representative, click here and enter your address in the box in the middle of the page.
RESOURCES:
For a copy of the full legislation, please click here.
For tips on how to effectively communicate with legislators, please click here.
For more information, contact AKC’s Government Relations Department at (919) 816-3720 or doglaw@akc.org