Harrisburg, PA – Governor Josh Shapiro signed Senate Bill 746 yesterday, updating Pennsylvania’s Dog Law to enhance public security in communities statewide; enhance situations for dogs in breeding kennels, day cares, and shelters; shield those that purchase or undertake dogs in Pennsylvania; and assist forestall the unfold of infectious illness amongst dogs.
The invoice, sponsored by Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee Chair Senator Elder Vogel, had broad bipartisan assist and was widely supported by animal welfare advocates, kennel house owners, native legislation enforcement companies, county treasurers, and others. Changes to the legislation take impact after 90 days.
“Pennsylvanians have made it clear that they count on kennels, breeders, and shelters to be held to excessive requirements,” Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding mentioned. “They need their communities to be protected from stray and harmful dogs. They need house owners to be held accountable when their canine assaults, they usually need unscrupulous breeders to be shut down. The Shapiro Administrationworking with each events within the legislature, has made commonsense modifications to the canine legislation to maintain our communities, our households, and our dogs protected and wholesome.”
Dog license gross sales fund Pennsylvania canine wardens’ work upholding excessive requirements of care in kennels; shutting down unlawful kennels; and retaining communities safer by holding harmful canine house owners accountable. Kennel charges had not elevated in almost 60 years and the worth of a license had not elevated in almost 30 years, severely straining funds to assist enforcement of Pennsylvania’s Dog Law.
Dog licenses, required in Pennsylvania, assist make dogs readily identifiable if they’re misplaced. Even if a canine has a chip, a license on their collar is clearly seen, and helps guarantee they make it home relatively than ending up in a shelter.
Dog wardens license and examine boarding and breeding kennels and shelters throughout the state to uphold the requirements, that are among the many nation’s highest.
Measures within the up to date legislation embody:
- All dogs in Pennsylvania will now be required to be licensed on the time of buy (authorized at eight weeks), or by three months old, whichever comes first.
- Those promoting or providing dogs for adoption will probably be required to supply a canine license software together with the canine.
- The price for an annual canine license will enhance to $8.70 on March 1, 2024 for all dogs. Licenses bought between December 1, 2023 and March 1, 2024 will probably be available on the prior charge of $6.70 for spayed or neutered dogs, and $8.70 for others.
- Lifetime license charges will enhance to $52.70 on March 1, 2024. Lifetime licenses bought between December 1, 2023 and March 1, 2024 will probably be available on the prior charge of $31.70 for neutered animals, and $51.70 for others.
- The legislation allows the Sec. of Agriculture to extend charges once more by $2 on December 1, 2025, and $1 on December 1, 2027.
- Fines for unlicensed dogs will vary from $100 to $500, plus courtroom prices.
- The legal penalties for all different violations of the canine legislation have elevated to $500 to $1,000 for abstract offenses and $1,000 to $5,000 for misdemeanor offenses plus courtroom prices.
- The annual registration for harboring a harmful canine will enhance from $500 to $1,000 for any canine deemed harmful after 90-days.
- Owners of dogs already declared harmful that attack once more, will probably be required to seek out and pay a kennel to deal with the canine throughout courtroom proceedings, to make sure the group stays protected till a remaining willpower is made.
- License charges for kennels will enhance on March 1, 2024.
- Kennels and shelters that supply dogs on the market or adoption should embody their kennel license quantity in commercials.
- Kennels promoting or adopting dogs at retail to the general public are liable for disclosing breeder data, vaccination and medical documentation, and any recognized chew assaults on a human or a home animal.
- Dogs imported into PA kennels should be remoted for at the very least 14 days.
Licenses will be bought by Pennsylvania’s county treasurers. Lifetime licenses are available for dogs with a microchip or tattoo. Discounts are available for qualifying senior residents and individuals with disabilities. Each license price consists of $1.70 postage and administrative prices, which stays within the county the place the license was bought.
For extra data of Pennsylvania’s canine legal guidelines, go to agriculture.pa.gov or licenseyourdogpa.pa.gov.
Media Contact: Shannon Powers, [email protected]
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