On Thursday, February 12, the Philadelphia City Council will be holding a public hearing and likely vote on a proposal imposing a three-year moratorium on dog breeding, and on the sale and transfer of puppies under seven months of age in Philadelphia.
You are strongly encouraged to act now and mobilize others to protect responsible breeding and dog ownership in Philadelphia by contacting members of City Council – particularly your district council member and all at-large members. Scroll down for hearing and contact information.
Summary:
Bill No. 250989, as amended in the Rules Committee, would establish a 36-month moratorium on the breeding and transfer of puppies in the City. The bill restricts the transfer, offer for transfer, and advertising of puppies under seven months of age, with limited exemptions.
While AKC supports efforts to address shelter overcrowding and improve animal welfare, this legislation targets the wrong sources of the problem. At the February 3 Rules Committee hearing, Committee Chair and sponsor Councilmember Cindy Bass encouraged AKC to work with ACCT Philly and PSPCA to help address shelter challenges. AKC supports this collaborative approach and urges Council to pause the legislation to avoid establishing the moratorium and allowing time for such efforts to be discussed. Bringing together shelter representatives, veterinarians, animal control officials, rescues and responsible breeders would allow Philadelphia to craft thoughtful, sustainable policies that genuinely reduce shelter burdens and improve animal welfare.
What to Ask the Council:
Respectfully ask Council to oppose Bill 250989 as written and instead hold, table, or amend the bill to establish a balanced stakeholder workgroup.
Consider the following additional talking points:
- Responsible breeders and dog owners share the same goals as shelters: reducing crowding and improving outcomes.
- A three-year moratorium will restrict conscientious breeders while failing to stop bad actors. Let the council know how a moratorium would impact your breeding program.
- Other cities like Los Angeles have enacted breeder moratoriums and still face shelter challenges.
- The bill allows an exemption for breeders who obtain a state license. However, many of the requirements for this license are not appropriate or even possible for home-based hobbyists residing in an urban area.
Better solutions to a breeder moratorium include:
- Expanded low‑cost spay/neuter access
- Owner education and retention programs
- Stronger enforcement of cruelty and nuisance laws
- Accountability for problematic operators
- Data‑based shelter intake strategy.
Please see a previous AKC alert for sample letters and additional talking points.
Meeting and Testimony Details:
The public hearing details are as follows:
Philadelphia City Council Public Hearing
Thursday February 12, 2026
Starting at 10:00 AM
Room 400, City Hall
To testify in person, call 215-686-3406 by 3:00 PM February 11, 2026.
To submit written testimony, email chiefclerk@phila.gov in pdf format and include Bill 250989 in the subject line.
Contact the Philadelphia City Council:
The emails for the district councilmembers are as follows:
District 1: Mark.Squilla@phila.gov
District 2: Kenyatta.Johnson@phila.gov (Council President)
District 3: Jamie.Gauthier@phila.gov
District 4: Curtis.Jones@phila.gov
District 5: Jeffery.Young@phila.gov
District 6: Mike.Driscoll@phila.gov
District 7: Quetcy.Lozada@phila.gov
District 8: Cindy.Bass@phila.gov
District 9: Anthony.Phillips@phila.gov
District 10: Brian.ONeill@phila.gov
The emails for the at-large councilmembers are:
Katherine.G.Richardson@phila.gov
Nina.Ahmad@phila.gov
Rue.Landau@phila.gov
Isaiah.Thomas@phila.gov
Kendra.Brooks@phila.gov
Jim.Harrity@phila.gov
Nicolas.ORourke@phila.gov
Telephone numbers and web-based contact forms can be found by clicking this link and then clicking on the individual member.
For more information, contact AKC’s Government Relations Department at email doglaw@akc.org.
AKC GR along with the Pennsylvania Federation of Dog Clubs, will continue to monitor this and other legislation that impact the rights of dog owners and the dogs they love.