July 18, 2019
This morning, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed the state budget. Thanks to legislative leadership, an amendment was included in the budget that addressed an issue that arose in late 2018 where the Ohio Department of Agriculture was requiring all who sell dogs in the state to be licensed and regulated as a retail pet store.
The new language now defines a “pet store” as an individual retail store that sells more than 40 puppies or dogs in a calendar year and the sales person, buyer, and the dog are all physically present during the sales transaction.
Current law already exempts rescues, shelters, and medical and research kennels. The new amendment also exempts high volume breeders as already defined in Ohio law, and any other dog breeder that maintains and sells dogs from the same premises where the dogs are bred and reared.
This means that home-based breeders will not be required to register or be subject to regulations as a retail pet store in Ohio. In cases where dogs may be bred or reared on another premises, home-based breeders will still be exempt so long as they sell fewer than 40 dogs in a year.
AKC thanks its state federation, Ohio Valley Dog Owners, and the many Ohio AKC clubs, sportsmen, fanciers and breeders who took the time to contact their legislators and the Ohio Department of Agriculture to educate them and express concerns. Your actions made a difference!
Please Join AKC in thanking key Ohio legislators!
AKC encourages dog breeders, fanciers and hobbyists in Ohio to thank the following legislators whose leadership protected Ohio hobby breeders and ensured that this amendment became law. We greatly appreciate their responsiveness to ensuring that the AKC’s concerns and interests were addressed. When contacting them, be sure to mention if you reside in Ohio, and if you are a constituent, include that as well in your communication.
- Senate President Pro Tempore Bob Peterson (District 17 – Clinton, Fayette, Gallia, Highland, Jackson, Pike, Ross, and parts of Lawrence, Pickaway and Vinton Counties):
Phone: (614) 466-8156
Email form: http://www.ohiosenate.gov/senators/peterson/contact - Senator William P. Coley III (District 4- Part of Butler County, including Hamilton and Oxford):
Phone: (614) 466-8072
Email form: http://www.ohiosenate.gov/senators/coley/contact - Representative Sara Carruthers (District 51- Hamilton)
Phone: (614) 644-6721
Email form: http://www.ohiohouse.gov/sara-p-carruthers/contact - Representative Laura Lanese (District 23 – Grove City)
Phone: (614) 466-9690
Email form: http://www.ohiohouse.gov/laura-lanese/contact
For questions or more information, contact AKC Government Relations at doglaw@akc.org.