For Immediate Release
September 17, 2008
Contact: Kristin Ebersole-Crawford
717-787-4420
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Senator Brubaker to Consider Dog Law Proposal

HARRISBURG – House Bill 2525 was passed today by the House of Representatives. This bill, known as the Dog Law, sets a higher standard for commercial kennels in Pennsylvania.

"I have been watching carefully the journey this proposal has taken through the House of Representatives and will review it thoroughly." Senator Brubaker affirmed on Wednesday.

"As I have said from the beginning, I will do what is necessary and appropriate to ensure that the health and welfare of dogs living in confined breeding operations are protected. This bill will receive consideration by the Senate Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee, perhaps as early as next week."  Senator Brubaker further committed to working with the members of the Senate Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee to address any remaining concerns.

Pennsylvania currently has laws and regulations which apply to kennels.  These standards, which were developed with the direct input of Pennsylvania-based animal welfare organizations and the regulated community alike, require kennels to be licensed and maintained in a safe and sanitary manner that protects the welfare of the dogs within them.  These standards are enforced by state dog wardens who are employed by the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement at the State Department of Agriculture.  House Bill 2525 would institute further standards, particularly for dogs kept in commercial kennels.

"We should raise the bar on commercial breeding operations," Brubaker said.  "But we should also create a program that permits those individuals who are currently conducting their businesses legally, humanely and with quality care for their animals, to continue to operate." 

"Dogs can be breed in a humane manner", Brubaker added.  "A proposal that arbitrarily shuts done commercial breeding operations irrespective of that operation's commitment to quality is not acceptable."

House Bill 2525 was passed by the House of Representatives on September 17, 2008 and will be sent to the Senate where it will likely be referred to the Senate Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee, which Senator Brubaker chairs.