Today, the New Jersey Senate passed S.2868, which seeks to create court-appointed legal advocates for animals. The bill will next be considered by the General Assembly, but has not been assigned to a committee for consideration.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) opposes S.2868. We believe that the creation of court-appointed animal advocates is likely to result in legal and pragmatic issues regarding who is responsible for an animal, and will ultimately impact the ability of dog owners to freely choose the most appropriate course of care and treatment for their pets.
Click here to read AKC’s February 16 action alert on S.2868.
For more background on this important issue, check out AKC’s Legal Status of Animals page in our Legislative Action Center.
Click here to read AKC’s Understanding the Difference Between Animal Rights and Animal Welfare.
AKC Government Relations (AKC GR) will continue to provide action alerts and updates on S.2868. To opt-in to receive text message action alerts, please text AKCGR to 50457. After receiving a confirmation text, complete the registration by clicking on the provided link and saving your mobile number to your profile in our database. To sign up to receive AKC GR’s Legislative Alerts emails, click here.
For more information on S.2868 or other pending New Jersey legislation, contact AKC GR at doglaw@akc.org.