SENATE UPDATE: Yesterday, the New Hampshire (NH) Senate approved Senator Pearl’s motion to lay SB 290, “Relative to the Definition of Torture in Animal Abuse Cases,” on the table. The American Kennel Club (AKC) and New Hampshire Dog Owners of the Granite State (NH DOGS) are grateful for this disposition. Both organizations abhor animal cruelty and support strong enforcement of federal and state cruelty statutes; but SB 290 could have resulted in inappropriate criminal charges for taking, or not taking, actions that unintentionally resulted in harm. Appreciation is extended to NH residents who responded to AKC’s alert and testified in opposition to the bill.
HOUSE UPDATES: On February 13, the House of Representatives adopted text allowing local governing bodies to issue warrants for civil forfeiture of an unlicensed dog for nonpayment of dog license fees, rather than mandating it. This followed HE&A’s January hearing on HB 240, relative to non-payment of dog licensing fees. The amended bill has been further referred to the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee, which has scheduled an executive session on March 14 to further discuss the bill.
On Tuesday, March 4, and Wednesday, March 5, 2025, the NH House Environment and Agriculture Committee (HE&A) heard public testimony on multiple bills impacting dogs, as highlighted in this previous alert. HE&A convened a subcommittee to draft amendments on Friday, March 7, and will convene a full committee work and executive session on March 11 on the following bills :
- HB 616, confiscation of animals from persons suspected of or charged with abuse of animals
- HB 250, enabling local governments to regulate the muzzling of dogs
- HB 424, forms for businesses to request information about service animals and establishing a committee to study protection of business owners from fraudulent service animals
- HB 262, relative to group licenses for dogs
- HB 401, animal testing funded by NH state funds
On March 6, the House adopted text establishing a committee to study adding a statewide resource to assist with the investigation, training, prosecution, and prompt response of animal cruelty. This followed HE&A’s January hearing and subsequent amendment to HB 153.
Also on March 6, the House voted HB 593 inexpedient to legislate. The bill would have (1) newly defined “loss of consortium” as the loss of love, companionship, comfort, care, assistance, protection, affection, society, and moral support of a pet as equal to that suffered by the loss of one’s spouse; (2) entitled a pet owner to recover damages for loss or impairment of right of consortium involving the death of that person’s pet when caused intentionally or recklessly, including by any law enforcement officer; and (3) diminished the award of damages based upon any fault for injury found to have been caused by the pet owner claiming damages. AKC issue an alert on HB 593, and testified in opposition to the bill as did NH DOGS.
AKC Government Relations (GR) will continue to monitor, address, and report on these bills and other legislative issues in New Hampshire. For more information, contact AKC GR at 919-816-3720 or doglaw@akc.org; or NH DOGS at dogs.nh@gmail.com.