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LAWS AND REGULATIONS
State laws
Some states have kennel licensing laws that parallel or exceed the standards set in the federal law, and some states have puppy lemon laws designed to give buyers some recourse if the puppy they acquire is sick.
State laws
Some states have kennel licensing laws that parallel or exceed the standards set in the federal law, and some states have puppy lemon laws designed to give buyers some recourse if the puppy they acquire is sick.
some states also place restrictions on breeding, require that animal shelters sterilize all dogs they sell, and prohibit dogs riding in pick-up truck beds. The Connecticut Legislature recently passed a bill to severely restrict the outside housing and tethering of dogs; the governor vetoed the bill on the ground that it duplicated current anti-cruelty laws and represented “excessive intrusion into people’s lives.” provisions in the bill limited the amount of time a dog could be tethered outside or kept in an outdoor or indoor pen.
Ohio has no laws setting standards for commercial kennels, and the state’s cruelty law is notoriously weak because it lacks minimum standards for animal care, training for the humane agents who enforce the law, and a requirement for a court order to enter property and seize animals. Dogs must be provided with food, water, and shelter, but they can be kept in filthy, rundown kennels; enclosed in buildings without adequate ventilation; and confined without adequate exercise.
Several attempts to increase protection for animals in Ohio have failed in recent legislative session because thy raised penalties for animal cruelty to a level equal to or above penalties for domestic violence against humans, shifted the burden of proof from the government to the accused animal owner, failed to provide for humane agent training, and did not exempt traditional and humane animal husbandry practices from the definition of cruelty. The Ohio legislature is looking at two bills (HB 480 and SB 221) that resolve some of these problems but not others.
some states also place restrictions on breeding, require that animal shelters sterilize all dogs they sell, and prohibit dogs riding in pick-up truck beds. The Connecticut Legislature recently passed a bill to severely restrict the outside housing and tethering of dogs; the governor vetoed the bill on the ground that it duplicated current anti-cruelty laws and represented “excessive intrusion into people’s lives.” provisions in the bill limited the amount of time a dog could be tethered outside or kept in an outdoor or indoor pen.
Ohio has no laws setting standards for commercial kennels, and the state’s cruelty law is notoriously weak because it lacks minimum standards for animal care, training for the humane agents who enforce the law, and a requirement for a court order to enter property and seize animals. Dogs must be provided with food, water, and shelter, but they can be kept in filthy, rundown kennels; enclosed in buildings without adequate ventilation; and confined without adequate exercise.
Several attempts to increase protection for animals in Ohio have failed in recent legislative session because thy raised penalties for animal cruelty to a level equal to or above penalties for domestic violence against humans, shifted the burden of proof from the government to the accused animal owner, failed to provide for humane agent training, and did not exempt traditional and humane animal husbandry practices from the definition of cruelty. The Ohio legislature is looking at two bills (HB 480 and SB 221) that resolve some of these problems but not others.
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