legislation > MN Dog and Cat Breeder Regulation Bill

STATUS:

The 2011 Minnesota Dog and Cat Breeder Regulation Bill has been introduced at the Minnesota State Legislature.

The bill number in the Minnesota Senate is S.F. 462, introduced by Senator Barb Goodwin. The bill number in the House of Representatives is H.F. 702, introduced by Representative John Lesch.

These bills can be found at the MN Senate and House websites:

• Senate File (S.F.) 462

• House File (H.F.) 702

Now is the time to act. Please call your State Senator and your State Representative to urge their support of S.F. 462 /H.F. 702. We will continue to post updates regarding the bill's progress on this page.

The Dog and Cat Breeder Regulation Bill

The 2011 Dog and Cat Breeder Regulation Bill (S.F. 462/H.F. 702) will provide:

• Licensing — Require commercial dog and cat breeders in Minnesota to be licensed

• Inspections and Enforcement — Give the Minnesota Board of Animal Health the authority to inspect commercial dog and cat breeding facilities and enforce existing State laws to ensure the health and safety of dogs and cats.

• Penalties — Impose civil, administrative and criminal penalties for those who violate the law

In addition to the above key areas, specific improvements have been made to this year's bill (S.F. 462/H.F. 702) to reflect new research, information and input. To review some of these improvements, read the answers to questions #11-#14 at: Q & A.

Your help is needed

If you were involved in past years, you know the time and energy required to inform legislators about the problem and gain support. Your help is needed now more than ever — due to the fact that the Capitol is now filled with new legislators, new committees and chairs, a new majority leadership and a new Governor. Please take action:

• Win the support of your legislators. Educate them: Contact Legislators

• Distribute materials about the need for breeder regulation: Downloads

• Get people to sign the petition: Sign Petition

• Learn more about inhumane dog and cat breeding: Issue

• Get a better understanding of opposing viewpoints: Opposition

NOTE:

• To better understand the bill-making process, go to: How A Bill Becomes Law

• The Minnesota Legislature meets each year, functioning on a two-year cycle called a biennium.