A wide-ranging bill that broadly defines “breeder” would prohibit certain breeding practices, set limits on the number of dogs and cats sold per year, impose care and facility standards, and spell out the information to be disclosed at time of sale.

Under Assembly Bill 1591, a “breeder” is defined as “any person who owns or operates a breeding facility and sells or offers for sale more than five cats or dogs per year, regardless of whether or not the person holds a valid breeder license issued by the USDA.” The term “pet dealer” includes breeders, kennels, pet shops and persons selling more than five cats or dogs per year who are exempted from the federal license requirements established by the Animal Welfare Act.

The measure sets forth several breeding and selling restrictions:

•  No person may breed a cat or dog from a litter with another cat or dog from the same litter.
•  No cat or dog may be bred more than once per calendar year.
•  No person may sell more than 25 cats or dogs per year for use as pets to individuals, kennels or pet shops.
•  No person may deliver to a pet shop for sale at the pet shop any cat or dog that is less than 10 weeks old.

Under this bill, a pet dealer would be required to provide purchasers with contact information for the source of the animal, immunization and other veterinary records and a copy of the store’s return policy.

Furthermore, any cat or dog that has not been sold after eight consecutive weeks in a pet shop must be humanely delivered to an animal control facility at no cost to that facility.

Breeders who violate the law could be prohibited from selling dogs for five years or more and fined up to $10,000 for each offense. Non-breeders could be fined $1,000 to $10,000 per animal.

The bill resides in the Assembly Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee. A hearing date had not been set at press time. [May 2008 PET AGE]