The Philadelphia City Council will be holding a final vote on Thursday, February 19, on a three-year moratorium on the breeding, sale, and transfer of puppies under seven months of age in Philadelphia. See Previous alert.
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. Those who live in the city should also contact their district council member and all at-large members. Even if you have previously contacted them, reach out again to the city council and state the following:
- Oppose Bill 250989 as written due to the many unanswered questions and unintended consequences lurking in the proposal.
- Table the Bill 250989 and establish a short-term discussion group that includes all impacted parties from the Pennsylvania Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement, to shelters and recuses, responsible breeders, and the city to work on a solution that addresses the shelter overcrowding issues without adversely impacting those who are not contributing to the problem.
- Let the council know how a three-year moratorium would impact your breeding program
Meeting Details:
The Council meeting will be held on Thursday February 19, 2026, in Room 400, City Hall starting at 10:00 AM.
Even if you are unable to testify, it is helpful to be in the room and be identifiable as a club member in respectful opposition to this proposal.
How to Submit Testimony:
To testify in person, call 215-686-3406 by 3:00 PM TOMORROW, February 18, 2026.
To submit written testimony, email chiefclerk@phila.gov in pdf format and include Bill 250989.
Speakers may also sign up to participate in public comments on the day of the meeting in Room 400, City Hall, by providing their full name, the bill number and whether you support or oppose the bill. Generally, a speaker is allowed 3 minutes, but the Council President may set a different time limit based on the number of speakers.
Contact the Council:
To submit written testimony, email chiefclerk@phila.gov in pdf format and include Bill 250989.
The emails for the district council members 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 council members are:
Katherine.G.Richardson@phila.gov
Nina.Ahmad@phila.gov
Rue.Landau@phila.gov
Isaiah.Thomas@phila.gov
Jim.Harrity@phila.gov
Kendra.Brooks@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.