What's Next?
 NH State Representative Susan Kepner of Hampton has introduced two bills in the NH Legislature for 2010 that will have a significant impact for dogs in the Granite State.
The first bill, LSR # 2010-H-2201 , will set specific humane standards for dog breeders. Currently, any person, business, corporation or other entity that transfers ownership of a dog, with or without a fee, is supposed to be licensed and inspected twice per year by the Dept Agriculture ( RSA 437: 1 and 3) . The law makes a vague reference to "humane conditions", but there are no specific standards in place . The Dept Ag has very specific rules for animal shelter facilities and pet shops ( the "1702" rules ), but they don't apply to breeders.
We've had many cases in the past several years in which large numbers of breeding dogs are living in cramped, poorly ventilated, filthy conditions . Eventually these situations turn into cruelty cases, the dogs are confiscated and end up at shelters throughout the state. This puts a huge demand on shelter resources, already overburdened due to the poor economy.
Rep. Kepner's breeder standards bill has specific requirements for caging, exercise, rest between breeding cycles, and prohibits surgical procedures such as de-barking, except as performed by a veterinarian under anesthesia.
We know that there are many responsible dog breeders in NH; we hope that they will support the bill because it will protect their breed and cut down the competition from people who are not caring for their dogs responsibly.
The second bill, LSR # 2010-H-2379, will add a provision to our animal cruelty statute (RSA 644:8) regarding humane tethering (see "Gizmo's story," on the Personal Stories page) .
In 2008 we were able to add some simple wording to our animal cruelty statute that strengthened the requirements for shelter for "backyard dogs". The changes we made in 2008 did not include any provision for chaining/tethering. In our 2010 bill we hope to place limitations on length of time tethered, and also specific safety requirements for tethers and collars.
If you would like to know more about our bills, and would like to find out how you can help make life better for Granite State dogs, please sign our GUESTBOOK to be placed on our mailing list.
Thank you, and WOOF !
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