This week, the Rhode Island (RI) Senate Committee on Environment and Agriculture voted to recommend passage of S. 325, “Animal Care”, which would further restrict the state’s definition of who is a “hobby breeder”. On Tuesday, June 3, 2025, S. 325 will be voted upon in the Senate – without any changes to address concerns raised in this American Kennel Club (AKC) alert. Back in March, with input from South County Kennel Club’s legislative liaison, AKC negotiated amended language to fix the bill. That language has not been adopted. It is imperative that all Rhode Island fanciers contact their member of the Senate and request S. 325 be fixed before passage.
PROBLEMS WITH S. 325
Under current law, a person who sells fewer than 20 dogs or three litters, whichever is greater, in a calendar year is considered a hobby breeder. All others are licensed and regulated as commercial sellers.
- 325, as filed, would eliminate the “fewer than 20” threshold and state that the number of litters allowed for hobby breeders, is no more than two (2) litters of dogs or cats, or a combination thereof, in a “365-day period”. By changing the breeding timeframe from “one calendar year” to a rolling “365-day cycle” that starts when one litter is whelped, a hobby breeder could miss their opportunity. If the breeder’s dogs produced one litter in the summer, then another produced a litter the following January, they’d be forced to skip breeding the first female when she comes into season again the following spring.
Click here for more details on S. 325.
TAKE ACTION TODAY!
- Immediately find your state Senator’s contact information by filling in your address on this form.
- Then, call or email your Senator, noting you are a constituent and would like them to speak with Senator Britto about fixing S. 325, regarding hobby breeders, before its passage.
AKC GR will continue to provide updates on pending dog-related legislation in Rhode Island. For more information on legislative issues in the state, contact AKC GR at 919-816-3720 or doglaw@akc.org.