Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture News
PA House of Representatives Vote on Dog Law Bills Could Occur Early This Week
House Bills 2532 and 2525, designed to improve Pennsylvania's commercial breeding kennels, are scheduled to be voted on this week.
Introduced in May, H.B. 2525 would strengthen current dog laws and provide better standards for the health and safety of dogs in commercial breeding kennels without affecting other types of kennels that house dogs.
H.B. 2532 makes improvements to the welfare of dogs under animal cruelty law.
"Currently, a kennel owner can choose to confine dogs in small, stacked, wire-floored cages with no heat, no opportunity for exercise, and no routine medical care. There are commercial breeding kennels operating with those conditions today, and it is completely legal under the current Pennsylvania Dog Law," said Wolff. "Swift passage of these bills will significantly improve the conditions in Pennsylvania's commercial breeding kennels."
Wolff said that through amendments to the original legislation, many of the major concerns of the groups who opposed the bill have been addressed, clearing the way for passage in the House.
Among other protections for dogs, H.B. 2525 doubles the minimum floor space for dogs and requires solid flooring, as well as access to an outdoor exercise area twice the size of the dog's primary enclosure. Current law does not require dogs ever be taken out of cages, much less given access to exercise areas.
The legislation would also mandate annual veterinary care, and eliminate the stacking of cages for adult dogs. Current law does not require that dogs ever receive routine veterinary check-ups and Wolff said that as a result, many go without. H.B. 2525 will require veterinary examinations for each dog at least once per year or during each pregnancy.
Current law treats all kennels the same, regardless of size or function. The proposed legislation would allow the health and welfare needs of the dogs housed in large commercial breeding kennels to be addressed.
Requirements are virtually unchanged for other types of kennels, like sporting and hobby dog kennels, because they do not operate with the purpose of breeding large quantities of dogs to sell for profit. Instead, they operate for the purpose of sporting, hobby, boarding or finding homes for dogs.
Improvements to the welfare of all dogs are included in H.B. 2532. Specifically, debarking, the practice of cutting or destroying a dog's vocal cords, would only be done by a veterinarian, as would surgical or cesarean birth. Tail docking would be allowed by individual owners until the dog is three days old, after which point it must be done by a veterinarian.
The proposed legislation is a result of Governor
Since 2006, Governor Rendell has made improvements to the staffing and enforcement efforts of the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement, which oversees the inspection and licensing of kennels.
For more information on the proposed legislation overhauling Pennsylvania's Dog Law, visit www.DogLawAction.com
CONTACT:
(717) 787-5085
SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
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