Editor’s note: It is contrary to the law, to say the least, that an animal owner would be forced to relinquish his/her animals regardless of whether charges of animal cruelty are dismissed or not.   With the repeated false-claim reports of animal cruelty against law-abiding dog owners and shelter operators lately, HB 82 opens up the citizens of the state of Pennsylvania to abuses by radical animal rights groups.   After all, radical animal rights groups won’t just go after so-called “puppy millers” should HB 82 pass; they’ll be able to point a finger at anyone and take their animals whether a person is guilty of cruelty or not.   This is not the law, this is not the Constitution, and this bill shouldn’t even be called for a vote.

From the AKC:

House Bill 82, which could violate the rights of responsible animal owners, has passed the Senate Judiciary Committee and may be scheduled for a Senate vote at any time. While several positive amendments have been made, the measure could still force owners to relinquish their animals when they are accused of cruelty, regardless of whether the charges are ultimately dismissed.

Read AKCs previous Legislative Alert for more information on House Bill 82.

Pennsylvania residents are strongly encouraged to contact your State Senator and express your concerns with House Bill 82.

To find the name and contact information for your Senator, visit the Pennsylvania General Assemblys Find Your Legislator page. A full list of Pennsylvania State Senators and their contact information can be found here.

AKC Government Relations (AKC GR) will provide updates as they become available. For questions or more information, contact the Pennsylvania Federation of Dog Clubs at pennfedlaw@verizon.net or AKC GR at (919) 816-3720 or doglaw@akc.org.