Update: Senate Bill 3041 Will Impact Hobby Breeders
The AKC has released the following flyer with information regarding the Senate Bill 3041. The AKC is urging breeders to call Governor Christie’s Office at 609-777-2500 to ask him to veto this bill.
Click here to download the printable Action Flyer.
- The current version of the bill, passed by both houses of the legislature, considers anyone – including breeders – who sells more than 10 cats or dogs in a year to be a “pet dealer.”
- It is common for some breeds such as Labrador Retrievers and Great Danes to regularly have litters larger than 10 puppies. A person whose dog has a large litter just once and sells/finds new homes for the puppies will be defined as a “pet dealer”.
- The arbitrary threshold and vague language in the “pet dealer” definition could regulate many fanciers and enthusiasts. Because most municipalities do not allow commercial enterprises such as animal “dealers” in residential zones, hobby breeders may find themselves in violation of state and local zoning laws, and forced to choose between their home and their hobby.
- Throughout the bills’ consideration, the AKC has respectfully recommended better language to reflect the sponsors’ stated intent that small, hobby breeders would be exempt from the definition of “pet dealer”. Because one litter could qualify a person as a “pet dealer”, those concerns have not been considered.
- The definition of pet dealer seeks to impact breeders located in other states who may sell dogs in New Jersey. Because it impacts interstate commerce and creates conflicts between New Jersey laws and the laws of other states, the definition of pet dealer is constitutionally suspect.
- Over previous versions, S.3041 actually increases the number of allowable health and welfare violations by pet dealers selling pets to pet stores.
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Like its predecessors, S.3041 contains more than two pages of “findings” that assail the reputations of dog breeders with broadly-discredited conjecture, questionable statistics, and out-of-date USDA information.
Short URL: http://caninechronicle.com/?p=122464
Posted by chesliepickett
on Mar 30 2017. Filed under Breaking News.
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