Legislative Panel Passes Kennel Regulations
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Legislative Panel Passes Kennel Regulations





Pennsylvania is one step closer to enacting sweeping new legislation to raise standards and restrictions on licensed dog kennels as the House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee voted 17-12 to pass House Bill 2525. Clearing the way for the vote, the committee agreed to a series of amendments designed to protect private sporting dog kennels from over enforcement.

The amendments were negotiated by the US Sportsmen’s Alliance – Sporting Dog Defense Coalition, Governor Ed Rendell and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

Concern over search and seizure language and the potential for combining both criminal and civil fines for even smaller technical offenses led USSA and its coalition members to oppose the bill until common sense amendments were added to ensure evenhanded enforcement. The coalition has been waging a comprehensive education campaign aimed at legislators, sportsmen and the media about the terrible impact the bill would have on private kennels without the proper protections added last week.

Sportsmen organizations including Masters of Foxhounds, Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen Clubs, Northeast Beagle Gun Dog Federation, American Brittany Club and many local hunts, clubs and organizations joined the cause, swamping the capitol with telephone calls, letters and visits from constituents. During hearings held over the last three weeks, hundreds of sportsmen packed committee rooms wearing buttons reading, “Fix HB 2525.”

Both committee chairmen, Mike Hanna and Art Hershey supported amendments adding protection for sporting dog kennels as did many members of the committee including Representatives Bob Bastian, Karen Boback, Michele Brooks, Jim Cox, Gary Haluska, Tim Solobay, and Tom Yewcic. Longtime sportsmen’s advocate, Representative Ed Staback, chairman of the House Game and Fish Committee, lobbied committee members and the Rendell Administration to ensure the concerns of sportsmen were heard.

The inclusion of the amendments protecting sporting dog kennels allowed USSA and its coalition partners to withdraw their opposition to the bill. The coalition will push for additional improvement to the bill in the Senate.

The bill is now awaiting further discussion and a vote on the floor of the House of Representatives. The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance will continue to monitor the situation to ensure that no harmful amendments are added as the bill moves forward. For a listing of the sportsmen’s amendments to House Bill 2525 click here or go to www.ussportsmen.org and click on Pennsylvania Dog Law Update.
US Sportmens Alliance on Target

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