The Oklahoma Legislature adjourned on Friday, May 29, without passing House Bill 1332. As introduced, this bill would have placed numerous restrictions on breeders and fanciers, including requiring breeders nationwide to obtain an annual Oklahoma "out-of-state dealer/breeder license" prior to bringing a dog into the state, with few exceptions.
The AKC and its state federation the Oklahoma Animal Interest Alliance (OAIA) succeeded in getting the bill amended to address many concerns. Some issues still remained, however, including the allowance for warrantless inspections at any time and the exclusion of breeder or OAIA representation on a new breeder advisory panel. The bill also continued to allow the state Board of Agriculture to develop standards of care with no public input or comment.
Thanks to the tireless efforts of OAIA and the many responsible breeders and dog owners in Oklahoma who continued to contact their legislators, the bill died in conference committee. The AKC assisted these efforts by issuing numerous alerts to Oklahoma breeders, fanciers, and AKC officials and sending letters, providing fact sheets, and communicating with key legislators. In addition we worked closely with OAIA to develop strategy and talking points for all responsible owners and breeders opposing this bill.
We congratulate OAIA and Oklahoma breeders on this significant victory.
The Oklahoma Legislature adjourned on Friday, May 29, without passing House Bill 1332. As…