Tomorrow, May 13, 2021, the New Hampshire Senate will vote on HB 250 regarding pet vendor licenses. The bill was passed by the House of Representatives before minor changes were recently made by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and favorably voted unanimously.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) and New Hampshire Dog Owners of the Granite State (NH DOGS) strongly support HB 250, as amended. It seeks to (1) increase, from 25 to 30, the number of dogs you could transfer in one year before needing to obtain a state pet vendor license from the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture; (2) provide a person who did not meet the pre-2019 requirements for licensure as a pet vendor but who transfers more than 30 dogs in a year, the opportunity to apply to for a temporary exemption from licensure if criteria are met proving they do not consistently transfer dogs over this limit; and (3) authorize the Department of Agriculture to suspend a license for violations.
AKC and NH DOGS have learned that, in spite of these fair amendments, animal rights activists are pressuring senators to vote against HB 250 tomorrow.
WHAT YOU CAN DO: New Hampshire residents are strongly encouraged to immediately email their state senator expressing support for HB 250, as amended. The list of State Senators with their contact information can be viewed here. Not sure who your Senator is? Search this site by selecting your town.
For more information on these or other legislative issues in New Hampshire, contact AKC’s Government Relations Department at 919-816-3720 or doglaw@akc.org; or the Dog Owners of the Granite State at dogs.nh@gmail.com.