A Texas Senate Committee held a public hearing on Tuesday, March 28 on Senate Bill 876 which will require anyone who owns 5 or more intact female dogs over 6 months of age to become a state licensed dog breeder – even if they never breed a litter or sell a single dog. This is an identical bill to HB 2238 that was also heard in a House committee last month.
Both bills remain pending in their respective committees, but a vote could still be called on the bills at any time. It is important for Texas breeders and dog owners to continue contacting the Senate Committee on Criminal Justice and ask them to oppose Senate Bill 876. Even if you have already done so, contact the committee again – especially if you are a constituent of a committee member. In addition, contact your State Senator and the Lt. Governor’s office and express your opposition. Scroll down for contact information.
Summary:
AKC has met with State Representative Brad Buckley, the sponsor of HB 2238 and thanks him for taking the time to discuss consumer protection laws as an alternative to changing the breeder definition. These discussions are ongoing. AKC continues to request a meeting with the Senate sponsor to discuss concerns and alternatives.
These bills drastically expand state law and go significantly beyond federal regulations, which apply to those with more than 4 breeding females and are selling dogs sight unseen. This legislation will not improve the welfare of dogs and creates significant burdens on hobbyists who raise dogs in their homes. It will regulate many hobbyists as commercial entities simply for owning intact female dogs – regardless of whether they sell even one puppy. It will require hobbyists to open their private homes to inspections and it will require them to comply with potentially unattainable commercial standards. View AKC’s previous alert for more information and talking points.
How to Help:
- Contact the Senate Committee TODAY via phone and email. Urge the committee to oppose SB 876 as currently written and urge them to work with AKC to advance consumer protection legislation in place of changing the breeder definition. Committee contact information can be found below.
- Contact Lt. Governor Dan Patrick’s office and respectfully urge him to oppose SB 876. You can submit comments to the Lt. Governor’s office
- Contact your state senator and urge them to oppose SB 876. You can find your state senator
Senate Criminal Justice Committee Chair:
State Senator John Whitmire
john.whitmire@senate.texas.gov
(512) 463-0115
Senate Criminal Justice Committee Vice Chair and Bill Sponsor:
State Senator Pete Flores
Peter.Flores@senate.texas.gov
(512) 463-0124
Senate Criminal Justice Committee additional members contact information:
State Senator Paul Bettencourt
paul.bettencourt@senate.texas.gov
(512) 463-0107
State Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa
juan.hinojosa@senate.texas.gov
(512) 463-0120
State Senator Joan Huffman
joan.huffman@senate.texas.gov
(512) 463-0117
State Senator Phil King
Phil.king@senate.texas.gov
(512) 463-0110
State Senator Borris L. Miles
borris.miles@senate.texas.gov
(512) 463-0113
AKC Government Relations will provide more information on these bills as it is available. For questions or more information, contact AKC GR at doglaw@akc.org.