The New Hampshire legislation is among the most restrictive anti-hobbyist bills we have ever seen. It was presented in the House Environment and Agriculture committee today for a hearing. Dog owners were not informed of the hearing, and the results have not been made available. The legislation is scheduled to move out of committee following an executive session on February 19.
House Bill 337 would:
· Allow New Hampshire residents to sell only one dog or cat a year.
· Allow a maximum of no more than two additional sales by a special permit, for $25 apiece. No one could receive more than two special permits.
· Impose fines of $50 to $200 would be imposed. All permit fee revenues and fines would be placed in a special fund for spaying and neutering pets.
· Only large commercial kennels are exempt.(what is the definition and why can large kennels be approved over the hobby breeder?)
Here is a link to the actual text of the legislation.
The American Sporting Dog Alliance is urging all New Hampshire dog owners to immediately contact each member of this committee and express strong opposition. It is critical to do this quickly, before the February 19 executive session.
Here is a link to the names of each member of the committee.
Clicking on a name will bring up a page with contact information for
phone,
surface mail, fax and email.
