Ulster County, NY Update: Hobby Breeder Regulations to Be Discussed in October

The Ulster County Legislature has made numerous changes to the proposal that would regulate dog breeders and sellers in the county, and a public hearing will be held in October.

The Ulster County Legislature is demonstrating a willingness to listen to constituents on this proposal, and residents are encouraged to continue contacting the legislators to thank them for the positive changes that have been made and express concerns with portions of the resolution as currently written.

Type in your address on the Ulster County website to find the name and contact information for your County Legislator.  Click here to find the full list of legislators and their phone numbers.

Summary:
A number of positive changes have been made to the proposal, including removing specific temperature requirements and other requirements that would not have been in the best interest of all dogs.

Some concerns still remain, however, including:

Definitions impacting home-based breeders.  A “pet seller” as defined in this proposal is anyone who sells 9 dogs or more than two litters in a year.  This low threshold would impact those who breed and raise dogs in their homes – in some cases even those who only breed one litter.  This is a much broader definition than that in state law and as such would prove a significant expense of time and resources for the county.  It would also subject those who are truly hobby breeders to the same requirements as commercial breeders, including opening up their private homes for inspections.

Exemptions to some provisions are made for “dog source breeders”, which are defined as those who sell dogs on their own premises for resale by “dog dealers” (those who sell dogs not bred on their property) and “pet sellers”.  This exemption would not apply to most home-based breeders.

The AKC is recommending that the county use the same definition as is used in state law, which would avoid confusion and protect those who keep a few dogs in their home.

Allowance for inspections and enforcement to be carried out by local animal welfare organizations.  This would potentially require residents to open their homes for inspection by local animal groups rather than law enforcement officials.  The AKC believes that since the purpose of the inspections are to enforce county laws; it is not appropriate for private groups or non-law enforcement entities to conduct those inspections.

AKC will continue to provide information on this proposal and more information on the October public hearing in the coming weeks.  For questions or more details, you may contact AKC Government Relations at (919) 816-3720 or doglaw@akc.org.

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Posted by chesliepickett on Sep 18 2015. Filed under Breaking News, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.