On April 12 and April 26, the New Hampshire House Environment and Agriculture Committee (Committee) accepted oral testimony on SB 368, as amended, regarding pet vendor license penalties. At the hearings, both the American Kennel Club (AKC) and the New Hampshire Dog Owners of the Granite State (NH DOGS) expressed significant concerns with the version of SB 368 passed by the Senate. The committee also received serious opposition from residents. Thank you for the overwhelming response to AKC’s prior alert!
Under Chairman Howard Pearl’s leadership, the Committee responded to the concerns by drafting and unanimously adopting amendment #2022-1780h that:
- Eliminates the proposed $5,000 fine for any second or subsequent violation by a pet vendor leaving the current fines for pet vendors unchanged.
- Caps the Department of Agriculture’s proposed revolving fund for the hiring of hearing officers to $75,000, which is less than the collective fines the Department now collects thereby eliminating any department incentive to increase the number or amount of fines issued.
- Provides the Department with authority to fine any person circumventing the pet vendor law by transferring dogs, cats, or ferrets without required health certificates.
SB 368, as amended by #2022-1780h, will now move to the full House for consideration.
WHAT YOU CAN DO: New Hampshire residents are encouraged to contact the Committee at HouseEnvironmentandAgricultureCommittee@leg.state.nh.us and express appreciation for the work done to address significant concerns with SB 368 regarding pet vendor licenses.
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.