NC Update: New Dealer Definition Approved by House

Late yesterday, the North Carolina House of Representatives approved an amended version of the budget which does contain a new definition of “pet dealer” and transfers the Animal Welfare Act to the Department of Public Safety.

Thanks to your calls and letters, the definition of “pet dealer” was amended and no longer contains co-ownerships. However, the revised dealer definition remains problematic by continuing to base the definition of dealer on ownership of animals rather than actual breeding or commercial activity.

The new definition requires licensing and inspections of anyone who owns at 10 or more intact females “kept for the primary purpose of breeding”. Only those who are actively training the majority of their dogsfor hunting or show are exempt. Those not actively training the majority of their dogs at one time would be included in this definition and subject to licensing and inspections.

The AKC also continues to ask the General Assembly to not transfer the Animal Welfare Act away from the Department of Agriculture. AKC believes that animal welfare regulations should be developed and overseen by those with expertise in animal care and husbandry.

Take a moment to see how your Representative voted yesterday on this proposal. If your Representative voted “no”, please thank them for standing for responsible dog owners and voting to protect the health and welfare of dogs.

The entire budget now goes to a conference committee where it will be debated and considered by selected members of the House and Senate. AKC will be closely monitoring this process and providing more information as it becomes available.

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Posted by chesliepickett on Jun 16 2014. 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.