Thursday, January 31, 2019
New Hampshire House Bill 688 – An Act Relative to Transfer and Inspection of Animals, which both the American Kennel Club (AKC) and our New Hampshire federation, the Dog Owners of the Granite State (DOGS), have serious concerns about, has been scheduled for public hearing on Thursday, February 7, 2019 at 1pm.
The bill defines “hobby breeders” as anyone transferring ownership of even one “animal” per year, and would require them to:
- Register with the state and be listed in an electronic database.
- Submit to inspection of property by the state, local officials, law enforcement, health officials.
- Submit to inspection of records by the above-mentioned parties or any member of the public.
The bill also defines “commercial breeding kennel” as any person that transfers 31 or more puppies in a year, and would require extensive new operational requirements.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
- Every New Hampshire resident is encouraged to call or email your member of the NH House of Representatives To identify your member and their contact information go to https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/house/members/default.aspx.
Please ask your Representative to communicate these HB 688 concerns to the House Environment and Agriculture Committee members:
- Inspecting the premises of every companion animal owner that transfers ownership of even one animal in a year and who may whelp a litter of puppies in a bedroom, is an invasion of privacy.
- Developing and maintaining a state database would cover over $1 million and is inefficient.
- The committee must find an alternative way of holding irresponsible actors accountable.
- Concerned residents are also encouraged to contact the members of the House Environment and Agriculture Committee and express concerns with HB 688. The entire committee may be emailed at HouseEnvironmentandAgricultureCommittee@leg.state.nh.us. To access the committee individual member contact list, click here.
- Concerned residents are also encouraged to attend the Thursday, February 7, hearing of the House Environment and Agriculture Committee and respectfully express opposition to HB 688. The committee is scheduled to meet at 1PM on Thursday, February 7, 2019, in Room 301-303 of the Legislative Office Building, 33 North State Street, Concord, NH 03301.
Click here to read AKC’s previous alert on HB 688.
AKC Government Relations (AKC GR) will provide additional information on HB 688 as developments warrant. For more information, contact AKC GR at doglaw@akc.org; or the Dog Owners of the Granite State at www.nhdogs.org.