This week, two New Hampshire House Committees voted down HB 1308 and HB 1310, bills negatively impacting hunting dogs that the American Kennel Club (AKC) actively opposed. The near unanimous rejection of these bills sends a strong message of continued support for training hunting dogs, hosting field trials, and engaging in canine sporting activities in the Granite State.
AKC extends our deepest appreciation to the committee members and New Hampshire residents who acted on the January 19, 2022, alert that HB 1308 would ban beagle training and field trials and the January 21, 2022, alert expressing serious concerns that HB 1310 would have a chilling effect on canine sporting activities.
The House Committee on Fish and Game and Marine Resources voted 18-to-1 at their January 25 work session that HB 1308 was “Inexpedient to Legislate”. As a result, the bill banning beagle training and field trials will not advance out of committee. Video of the vote can be viewed here and takes place 49 minutes into their meeting.
HB 1310 would have prohibited hunters from discharging a firearm in the direction of a building, livestock, or pets within their eyesight. A first offense violation would have resulted in loss of hunting license, while a second offense would have removed hunting privileges in New Hampshire for life. Among other concerns, the bill failed to distinguish “pets” from “hunting dogs” that are routinely trained to safely hunt game while also serving as companion animals. AKC expressed these concerns at the House Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety hearing on January 26, at which the committee unanimously voted the bill down.
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.