https://www.akc.org/legislative-alerts/new-york-senate-committee-considering-limiting-pet-choice-breeder-rescue-tuesday/
April 29, 2022
On Tuesday, May 3, the New York Senate Agriculture Committee will consider a
bill which will prohibit retail pet stores from selling any dogs or cats.
Instead, they would only be allowed to “showcase” animals available for
adoption from a shelter, rescue, or adoption agency that has no affiliation
with breeders.
Senate Bill 1130 previously passed the Senate, but was ultimately held in the
Assembly. As such, it has to be reconsidered this year.
New York residents are strongly encouraged to contact the committee today, and
ask them to not allow Senate Bill 1130 to advance. Scroll down for committee
contact information.
Summary:
Current law requires that pet dealers (defined in part as anyone who sells more
than 9 dogs a year that are not bred and raised on their property) must comply
with extensive consumer protection laws.
Senate Bill 1130 specifically removes retail pet stores from the definition of
“pet dealer”. As such, they are removed from the requirements that protect the
health and welfare of dogs and enable consumers to know the health and
background of the animal prior to sale. In addition, even though the bill
allows animals to be “showcased” that are available for adoption, it is not
immediately clear if background information or information on the shelter or
rescue is required.
AKC understands and shares concerns about “retail rescue” and commercially
bred dogs that are being marketed as rescues. However, as currently written,
this proposal implies that reputable breeders should not be involved in rescue
work. This undermines the dedicated volunteer efforts of breed experts and
breeders who are part of AKC clubs and who regularly help dogs in need get
appropriate assessments, care, and rehoming.
Talking Points:
• Although this bill is being touted as the ultimate solution to ending
the problem of bad breeders, fewer than 9 percent of pets purchased in the US
come from pet shops. This bill will do little to address any issues associated
with substandard breeders; however, it dramatically harms the option to choose
a professionally raised, purpose-bred dog.
• It harms responsible pet breeders and retailers who are regulated
under federal and state laws, while encouraging the sale of pets that come from
unlicensed and unregulated sources that are not subject to federal animal
welfare or New York consumer protection laws.
• Since the bill does not allow rescues or shelters to source dogs from
breeders, it would seem to imply that breeders should not be involved in rescue
work. This undermines the dedicated volunteer efforts of breed experts and
breeders who are part of AKC clubs and who regularly help dogs in need get
appropriate assessments, care, and rehoming.
• It will ban the sale of pets from known, regulated and inspected
sources, and restrict pet shops to only sell pets from unregulated sources
(i.e., shelters, rescues, and other similar organizations).
• It will reduce the average person’s access and ability to choose a
pet with the predictable type, mandated care, and substantiated health
background that come with purebred pets from regulated sources. Individuals
who lack the resources or do not have access to private hobby breeders will be
the most directly impacted.
For additional talking points, visit AKC GR’s Key Issue page on pet choice:
www.akcgr.org/petchoice
What You Can Do:
Contact the members of the Senate Agriculture Committee. Ask them to not
support Senate Bill 1130. If you are a constituent of a committee member, use
the form provided to take action. Otherwise, use the contact information below:
Sen. Michelle Hinchey (Chair - Kingston)
hinchey@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Sen. Alessandra Biaggi (Bronx)
biaggi@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Sen. George Borello (Jamestown)
borrello@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Sen. Jabari Brisport (Brooklyn)
brisport@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Sen. Leroy Comrie (St. Albans)
comrie@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Sen. Pamela Helming (Geneva)
helming@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Sen. Daphne Jordan (Castleton-on-the-Hudson)
jordan@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Sen. Rachel May (Syracuse)
may@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Sen. Jessica Ramos (East Elmhurst)
ramos@xxxxxxxxxxxx
For more information, contact AKC’s Government Relations Department at
doglaw@xxxxxxx.
Click Here to Take Action on NY SB 1130!
Stormy Hope
NAIATrust, Trustee
NAIATrust-CA on Facebook!
GSDCA Legislative Liaison to AKC
California Responsible Pet Owners
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