The Indiana House of Representatives will soon be voting on House Bill 1468, which imposes limits on dog ownership and labels anyone who sells five dogs a year as a “pet dealer”.
The American Kennel Club and its members agree with the sponsor and supporters of this bill that animal cruelty is deplorable. Dogs should be kept in a safe, healthy environment and those who mistreat or abuse animals should be punished.
House Bill 1468, however, does not fix the problem of irresponsible dog breeders and it punishes responsible breeders. In addition, animal shelters, humane societies, and rescue organizations are exempt from the bill, and therefore not held to the same standards of care required for breeders.
It is important that all responsible dog owners, breeders, and fanciers in Indiana contact their State Representative and express your opposition to House Bill 1468!
If passed, House Bill 1468 would, among other provisions:
- Limit ownership to 30 dogs that are at least one year of age and are not spayed or neutered.
- Require microchipping for all dogs sold by a commercial breeder (10 or more litters a year)
- Protect a dog purchaser from buying a dog with disease or other health conditions, but provide no recourse for breeders victimized by false accusations.
The American Kennel Club’s mission includes working to protect the rights of all dog owners and promoting responsible dog ownership. The AKC strongly supports the humane treatment of dogs, including providing an adequate and nutritious diet, clean living conditions, regular veterinary care, kind and responsive human companionship and training in appropriate behavior. We believe, however, that numerical limits do not address the underlying issues of responsible ownership and proper dog care. Limiting the number of dogs an irresponsible owner may have will not make him or her a better owner. We also believe that the decision to microchip a dog is best left up to the individual breeder or purchaser.
The AKC supports reasonable and enforceable laws that protect the welfare and health of dogs without restricting the rights of owners or breeders who take their responsibilities seriously. We urge the Indiana House of Representatives to reject House Bill 1468 and instead work on legislation that will truly fix the problems of neglect and irresponsible ownership and protect the rights of responsible dog owners.
What You Can Do to Help:
Contact your State Representative and ask them to vote NO on House Bill 1468.
Click here to find your Representatives and their contact information.
Click here for a sample letter to personalize.
Additional Resources:
View our “Disagree Diplomatically” flyer for suggestions on how to communicate with legislators.
The Indiana House of Representatives will soon be voting on House Bill 1468, which imposes limits…