Michigan Breeder Regulations Bill Passes Committee

AKC Legislative Alert

Michigan House Bill 4898, which seeks to limit the number of dogs that can be kept on a single premises and expands state authority to regulate  “large scale dog breeding kennels”, has been approved by the House Appropriations Committee and could be scheduled for consideration by the full House of Representatives very soon.

Michigan residents are encouraged to contact their State Representative to express concerns with the bill as currently written.  Visit the Michigan Legislature’s “Find your Representative” link to find the name and contact information for your State Representative.

As approved by the committee, HB 4898 will, among other provisions:

• Limit the number of dogs that can be kept on a single premises (to 50 intact females over the age of four months).  The AKC opposes arbitrary limits on dog ownership.  Instead, the focus should be on the care and welfare of the animals, regardless of how many dogs are owned.  Visit AKC’s Legislative Action Center for more information and talking points on why limit laws are ineffective.
• Define a “large scale dog breeding kennel” based on how many intact female dogs a person owns (15 over the age of four months “housed or kept for the primary purpose of breeding”), rather than actual breeding and sales activity.  While the AKC appreciates that the word “commercial” was removed from the definition, it is still not appropriate to regulate someone based solely on the number of intact dogs they own and how those dogs may be used, or perceived.

Michigan Code already regulates kennels in the state, including licensing requirements and extensive regulations regarding kennel sizes and the care and conditions in which dogs should be kept.  It is unclear why new “large scale dog breeding kennel” definitions and regulations are needed.  In addition, the arbitrary limit on dog ownership is unnecessary and will not address the true issue of responsible dog ownership and care.

The bill also creates new regulations regarding importation of dogs into the state.  These regulations will also apply to animal shelters.  The AKC agrees that importation laws should apply to all who are bringing dogs in from out of state.

Michigan residents who breed and raise dogs are encouraged to review the bill in its entirety to determine its impact on them.

For more information, contact AKC’s Government Relations Department at (919) 816-3720, or email doglaw@akc.org.

Short URL: http://caninechronicle.com/?p=91810

Posted by chesliepickett on Oct 26 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.