Massachusetts fanciers are extremely concerned about pending legislation to
require licensing of commercial breeders. H4537 provides that anyone engaged
in the breeding and sale or exchange of litters from more than "three
breeding females" must be licensed and inspected by the state. The bill is a
substitute for previously considered H2274 and H3197, legislation that would
have mandated licensing for all hobby breeders. AKC and purebred dog owners
opposed these bills last year.

Although existing law will exempt those who sell or exchange offspring from
their personally owned animals, fanciers in Massachusetts believe H4537 is
ambiguous and sets a dangerous precedent for future laws that could further
restrict their breeding rights.

Other Points to Consider:
· H4537 does not define "breeding female." The bill may therefore impact
owners who choose to keep intact animals for the purpose of participating in
conformation events but have no intent to breed.

· The federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA), as enforced by the US Department of
Agriculture, already requires licensing of commercial dog breeders. The AWA
further exempts from licensing hobby breeders who sell direct to the
consumer. With such clear federal guidelines already in place, H4537
represents an expensive, bureaucratic duplication of legislation efforts.

What You Can Do:
Contact the Members of the House Committee on Steering, Policy and
Scheduling, as well as your own Representative, to express your concerns.

House Committee on Steering, Policy and Scheduling
State House #174
Boston, MA 02133
Phone:617-722-2960

Rep. Paul Kujawski
(Rep.PaulKujawski@hou.state.ma.us) [Chair]
Rep. Benjamin Swan
(Rep.BenjaminSwan@hou.state.ma.us) [Vice Chair]
Rep. Christine E. Canavan
(Rep.ChristineCanavan@hou.state.ma.us)
Rep. James B. Eldridge
(Rep.JamesEldridge@hou.state.ma.us)
Rep. John P. Fresolo
(Rep.JohnFresolo@hou.state.ma.us)
Rep. Bradford R. Hill
(Rep.Brad.Hill@state.ma.us)
Rep. Louis L. Kafka
(Rep.LouisKafka@hou.state.ma.us)
Rep. Peter Kocot
(Rep.PeterKocot@hou.state.ma.us)
Rep. Elizabeth A. Poirier
(Rep.ElizabethPoirier@hou.state.ma.us)
Rep. Joyce A. Spiliotis
(Rep.JoyceSpiliotis@hou.state.ma.us)
Rep. Ellen Story
(Rep.EllenStory@hou.state.ma.us)

To find out who your representative is, visit
http://www.state.ma.us/legis.htm

For more information, contact: Massachusetts Federation of Dog Clubs and
Responsible Dog Owners
      Web site: http://www.massfeddogs.org
      E-mail: ARGBear@aol.com

      AKC's Canine Legislation department
      919-816-3720, doglaw@akc.org



LeeAnn O'Reilly RN,PBMH
Pres.Dog Legislation Council of Canada
Cbk.,Nfld.