The Missouri House Local Government Committee is scheduled to consider two bills on Thursday, January 27, that would prohibit local municipalities from enacting breed-specific laws in the state.
Those who reside or participate in dog events in the state are encouraged to contact the committee members and express your support for these bills. Let them know if you participate in dog events in the state or own a breed that is often targeted by bans or restrictions.
Summary:
The committee is considering two bills that would prohibit local breed-specific laws:
House Bill 1588 and House Bill 1657 state that the Missouri General Assembly preempts and controls all legislation regarding the control or regulation of specific breeds of dogs. This includes cities with home rule. Local municipalities and counties may control dogs in other manners, including enacting vicious dog laws, so long as the laws are not specific to breed. Any existing or future attempts by local governments to pass breed-specific laws will be considered null and void.
House Bill 1588 additionally states that any locality that currently has breed-specific laws will have until February 28, 2024, to come into compliance and update their laws. After that date, all breed-specific local laws will be considered unenforceable.
These bills are an important step in protecting the rights of responsible dog owners, as many localities throughout the state have breed-specific policies. These bills will protect public safety by allowing general laws regarding dogs to be implemented, but also allow Missouri residents to own the dog of their choice.
Visit the Breed-Specific/Dangerous Dog Laws key issue page in the AKC Legislative Action Center for more talking points on this issue.
How to Express Your Support:
Submit written comments to the House Local Government Committee and respectfully ask them to support House Bill 1588 and House Bill 1657. Click on each bill link to submit comments for that bill. Written comments will be accepted until midnight on Thursday, January 27.
On the form, you may also select if you would like to attend the hearing in person. The hearing information is as follows:
House Local Government Committee
Thursday, January 27, 2022
8:00 am
House Hearing Room 7
AKC Government Relations and the Missouri Federation of Animal Owners (MoFed) continue to closely monitor these and all legislative bills in Missouri impacting dog owners. For more information, contact AKC GR at doglaw@akc.org.