Federal PUPS Legislation Information Update
July 22, 2010
The American Kennel Club and our
Washington, D.C.-based advocacy team continue to closely monitor S. 3424/H.R. 5434, the
federal Puppy Uniform Protection and Safety (PUPS) Act. There
has been no official action on the bill since its introduction in late May.
As previously reported, the 2010
PUPS bill seeks to expand federal regulation of dog breeders who breed and sell
more than 50 puppies a year directly to consumers. This version is a
significant improvement over previous versions, which focused on the number of
dogs owned, regardless of what was bred or sold. This version would require the
new category of breeders to abide by basic minimum standards of care and
conditions and to abide by new performance-based exercise requirements.
However, the AKC also has a number
of serious concerns with the bill as introduced. Some of these concerns
include:
- Definition of
"breeding female" as an intact female dog aged 4 months or
older. Female dogs are not sufficiently mature at 4 months of age to be
bred.
- Definition of "high
volume retail breeder" that is overly broad and does not take into
account co- and joint ownerships. Additionally, a reference in this
definition to the number of dogs owned by a breeder is unnecessary and
potentially misleading.
- Exercise language should
be clarified to ensure that the daily exercise requirements do not
preclude training that involves other types of activity as well.
We will continue to monitor this
legislation vigilantly and to outline our concerns regarding PUPS legislation
to appropriate members of Congress and staff. Given the issues that
AKC and other responsible dog owner groups have raised, and that Congress will
be in session for fewer than six weeks prior to the November elections, it
is not likely that there will be action on PUPS in the near term.
AKC will continue its
education campaign with legislators and we will keep you up to date on any new developments.
For more information about the
PUPS bill view the links below:
- View AKC’s previous Legislative Alert, including
information on USDA animal care standards and inspections
- AKC Policy on Responsible
Breeding Practices
- AKC Policy on Enforcement of
the Animal Welfare Act
- AKC Policy on Breeding
Restrictions
American
Kennel Club Government Relations Department
8051
Arco Corporate Drive,
Phone:
(919) 816-3720
Fax:
(919) 816-4275
