So, what’s with the new dog laws coming to Pennsylvania? That’s the question on every dog breeder’s
lips right now.
Well, according to the PA Dept of Ag’s website “”Pennsylvanians have made it clear that they expect dog owners, kennels, breeders, and shelters to be held to high standards,” Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said. “They want their communities to be safe from stray and dangerous dogs. They want owners to be held responsible when their dog attacks, and they want unscrupulous breeders to be shut down. The Shapiro Administration, working in a bipartisan approach with the Pennsylvania General Assembly, has made commonsense changes to the dog law to keep our communities, our families, and our dogs safe and healthy.”
If you’re wondering if you are affected by this law, here’s a quick way to tell. Do you own a dog? If you do, then yes, this law affects you!
Here’s most of what’s important, written out by a spokesperson from PAWS, the local dog breeder’s organization that is being a huge help in getting the information out there to people about this law.
1. Illegal kennels may now receive misdemeanor charges and the civil penalty range for violations was increased. Fines can range from
$500.00 to $5000.00
2. Every kennel needs an isolation plan for sick dogs and/or dogs imported across state lines. This isolation plan should be tailored to the type of kennel you operate and the physical set-up of your kennel. No isolation plan will look exactly the same. If you are a licensed kennel and do not have an isolation plan this will result in a citation. You need a written plan from your vet (Black Horse Animal Hospital can help you with this) and a designated pen to keep them in. This pen may be in your kennel but may need to be a solid wall separation. The exact requirements depend on the reason for isolation. In commercial kennels the isolation pen must meet the normal PA Dog Law ventilation requirements.
3. Non-commercial kennel sidewalls may no longer have gaps or openings large enough for a dog’s legs to be poked through. Chain link and welded wire will not qualify on the bottom of divider panels unless the holes are small enough that a leg cannot fit through. Chain link can still be used but will need modification. The biggest concern is the gap at the bottom of the divider to the floor. Be sure puppies or smaller dogs are not able to extend into another enclosure. There are a number of ways to correct this. BDLE will work with kennel operators on this issue in an effort to find what works best for each kennel.
4. Your kennel name (or personal name), city, state, and zip code (as listed on your kennel application) must be displayed on all advertising.
The box number and street is not required. BDLE will accept a P.O. Box address if it is noted as an address on your kennel application. If you filed for your license already you can send in an updated address as long as you state your old and new address and sign and date it. Your USDA and PA Kennel License number needs to be listed as well. If you are not a licensed kennel you need to include the individual dog’s license number on all advertising. This number can be found on the female’s license or collar tag. You are responsible to make sure this happens even if advertising in a local paper and publications like the Busy Beaver. If you do not do this you may get a visit from the Dog Warden, resulting in a warning or citation.
5. All dogs being brought into PA must have had an initial (Distemper, Adeno, Parainfluenza, and Parvovirus “DAPP” vaccine) noted on the certificate of veterinary inspection (CVI) prior to entry into PA and be isolated for 14-days before being adopted or sold. They need to be kept in your isolation area in accordance with your kennel’s isolation plan. The Bureau is allowing kennels such as dealers, to list these dogs for sale while they are under the 14-day isolation. However, the dogs cannot be touched in-person by the public during this time.
6. All dogs need to be licensed once they are transferred to their new owner. Fines for unlicensed dogs are up to $500.00 (keep in mind your paper copy of your license application is very important to keep track of). That is more important than the tag on the dog. All kennel owners who sell a dog will be responsible for providing the new dog owner with a dog license application and brochure. The Bureau will provide these forms, and kennels can expect to receive these via mail in January. This requirement goes into effect on February 1, 2024. It is not the kennel owner’s responsibility if the buyer doesn’t buy a license.
7. Pa Dog Law now requires you to display a record of all the puppies you have available for sale. In a pet store this info must be on the cage card. Breed, date of birth, vaccine record, and vet information must be listed for each puppy.
This is pretty serious business, right? According to everyone we’re talking to and gathering information from, yes, it is serious. Probably my biggest concern personally is for those of us that have a pet dog or two at home, and every so often we raise a litter of puppies. How will this affect us? Sounds like the most important things to remember are that obviously your adult dogs need to be licensed and have their rabies certificates, and then when the puppies are being sold, wherever they are being sold on, you must post the mother’s registration number, and you must post your city, state, and zip code. Also, you’ll need to give out dog license applications and brochures to anyone from PA buying a puppy.
For registered non commercial kennels, same changes apply for you. In a sense if you have a “kennel” it might be tougher, but on the other hand, you’re already being inspected, you already have specific do and don’ts, and these changes just get incorporated into the system. According to PA Dept of Ag Kristen Donmoyer, at a local educational meeting hosted by PAWS, not much will change for commercial kennels, so that’s good.
We’ve reached out to the Dep of Ag Press Secretary, Shannon Powers, with some questions we had in regards to this, and you can see them posted as follows.
Q. This new law will affect every single dog owner and breeder in the state, right?
A. That is correct. Amendments to Pennsylvania’s Dog Law that take effect this month strengthen requirements for breeding or other kennels, as well as dog owner responsibilities. This increases public safety in Pennsylvania communities and adds consumer protections for those who buy or adopt dogs.
Q. Misdemeanor charges can mean jail time, am I correct on that?
A. Correct
Q. According to what I’m seeing, any time anyone advertises a litter of puppies, or a dog, regardless of whether that’s in a local paper or online, the physical address needs to be available, right? To me that looks like an open invitation for criminals to come to PA and pick themselves some nice, free puppies. Do you have a plan in place to keep this from happening?
A. If the person or business advertising a dog for sale or adoption is required to possess a federal, state, or local license, the ad must include business name, business address, and kennel license number. Home-based sellers and kennels have the option to use a P.O. Box or city, state and zip code. This information is also readily available at agriculture.pa.gov in the PA Department of Agriculture’s Public Kennel Inspection Search. This is intended to help weed out illegal kennel operations, and help those adopting or buying dogs make more informed decisions, and take home a healthy, well cared-for pet.
Q. What’s the history of this new law, and who pushed for it in the first place?
A. Amendments to Pennsylvania’s Dog Law were proposed in several legislative sessions. Despite popular public support, these amendments did not pass until the Shapiro Administration and General Assembly added requirements for breeders and strengthened the amendments. The list of organizations who officially supported this version of the bill is on the department website, along with additional details on measures included in the bill.
• Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association [PVMA]
• Humane Society of the United States [HSUS]
• Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals [PSPCA]
• Animal Care and Control Team of Philadelphia [ACCT Philly]
• Pennsylvania State Police [PSP]
• Pennsylvania Farm Bureau [PFB]
• Dog Law Advisory Board [DLAB]
• United Against Puppy Mills [UAPM]
• County Treasurers Association Pennsylvania [CTAPA]
• Chester County Police Chiefs Association [CCPCA]
• Willow Spring Kennel
• Denver Borough, Lancaster County
• Honeybrook Township, Chester County
Q. When I listen to everyone talking about this, it seems to me like this was a big win for the animal activists. Am I right about that, or does it just seem that way?
A. The bill’s many supporters included advocates for animal welfare, consumer protection, and public safety. The bill is a big win for all three.
Q. Can you give us some reasons as to why this new law will help the average breeder in the state of PA?
A. These new measures help consumers recognize legitimate, legal breeders who are adhering to Pennsylvania’s high standards. This, in turn, levels the playing field for these business owners who place a high premium on animal welfare and quality breeding. New measures also help breeders and other kennel owners prepare for and quickly react to minimize the spread of contagious diseases that harm not only the animals, but the businesses’ reputations and bottom lines. This also preserves the integrity of the dog breeding industry by weeding out the underground operations.
So, what’s our final take away?
Well, first and foremost, I would like to take this opportunity to thank our local dog breeder groups, PAWS and PPDBA. Despite some people falsely accusing these groups of supporting these changes, which is untrue, they have actually had some say in decreasing the severity of these changes. Yes, they were actively working with the powers that be, but they were working on our behalf. These changes would have been made regardless of their support or not, and so I want to thank them for being involved, and advocating for us.
Second thing that comes to mind is that a lot of whether we can “put up” with these changes or not really boils down to attitude. We can choose to buck this and fight it as hard as we can, or we can become educated and comply with the changes. I had to think of the way our hunting licenses and laws work. I believe for some of us, this is the equivalent to going from simply grabbing our guns and hunting for deer, to navigating today’s complex seasons, zones, licenses, etc. Image how confused we would be if we had to go from simply hunting to abiding to the rules today! But it’s not a big deal to the dedicated hunters today because they are educated. They become familiar with what may and may not happen, and they realize that the most enjoyable and stress-free way to hunt is to simply accept this and become compliant.
I feel like that’s the choice we have today. We can become bitter and buck this, or we can accept this and make the necessary changes. And hey, on a positive note, like Kristen said “Lets make people want to come to Pennsylvania to find their next puppy.”
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