On Thursday, February 15, the Vermont House Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs will consider H. 626, which is an omnibus bill relating to animal welfare protections. The bill, which has been sought by many for the past several years, would:
- Establish a Division of Animal Welfare at the Department of Public Safety. It would be charged with developing, implementing, and administering a centralized program for investigating and enforcing animal welfare requirements in the State,
- Amend or establish standards for the operation of animal shelters and animal rescue organizations, and
- Detail requirements for the importation or transportation of animals into the State.
H. 626 is supported by both the American Kennel Club (AKC) and the Vermont Federation of Dog Clubs (VT Federation) because Vermont has no current oversight for animal shelter and rescue organizations. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), over one million dogs were imported into the U.S. in 2019. Many of these dogs are inadequately vaccinated or have invalid health certificates. Because many dogs are imported via the retail rescue industry or internet sales, they do not receive the same level of oversight as dogs bred in the U.S., creating the conditions for a public health crisis. AKC has been concerned for many years about the devastating but preventable threat from diseases and parasites from inadequately vaccinated or health-checked animal imports. Details on the risks of imports are here.
VOICE YOUR SUPPORT TODAY: AKC strongly encourages those who reside in Vermont to contact the House Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs and ask them to support review and advancement of H. 626. Send an email to Andrea Hussey, Committee Assistant, at AHussey@leg.state.vt.us. In the subject line insert “Support H. 626”. Identify the town where you live and why H. 626 is important to protect you and your pets.
The Thursday, February 15 hearing starts at 1PM. You may attend in person at 115 State Street, Room 10, Montpelier, Vermont 05609-0101 or watch remotely on the committee’s livestream.
For more information on these or other legislative issues in Vermont, contact AKC’s Government Relations Department at 919-816-3720 or doglaw@akc.org.