Take Action Today! House Bill 1717 will have a hearing on March 3 at 9 a.m. in room 138 of the capitol building in the House Agriculture Forestry & Economic Development Committee. Members should call their State Representative today and ask them to vote NO on House Bill 1717, which seeks to regulate and tax sporting dog breeders out of existence. Members can find their State Representatives phone number by using the Sportsmen’s Alliance’s Legislative Action Center.
A proposal introduced in the Arkansas House of Representatives on Tuesday, March 1, would require dog owners who sell even one dog to be regulated, registered and subject to fees from the state. House Bill 1717, sponsored by Rep. James J. Sorvillo (R-Little Rock), forces anyone who sells a dog or cat to register with the Arkansas Department of Health.
Registration must be accompanied by a certificate of good health from a licensed veterinarian. Dog owners must also answer a battery of questions about their future intent to sell dogs. Finally, registration will result in a fee that will be set upon passage of the legislation.
House Bill 1717 is a one-size-fits-all approach that treats anyone selling a single animal with the same veracity as high-volume kennels. “Hobby breeders and sporting dog kennels are not the same as large-scale breeders, and should not be charged and forced to endure an unnecessary invasion of privacy for selling a few dogs on Facebook, via email, or using a sign at the end of their driveway,” said Luke Houghton, Sportsmen’s Alliance associate director of state services.
By charging nearly all dog and cat owners, Arkansas health officials will be able to fund the policing of dog and cat sales across the state. Further, registered dog owners would be required to comply with requirements that have not even been written yet. The state will also be able to fine dog owners $100 for individual violations of the new dog law.
House Bill 1717 is a gross overreach of government, and completely unnecessary. Many Arkansas sportsmen own hunting dogs that have litters. Forcing them to register with the state if they advertise to sell a puppy is unfair, and will drive up the cost of quality hunting and field trial dogs.
About the Sportsmen’s Alliance: The Sportsmen’s Alliance protects and defends America’s wildlife conservation programs and the pursuits – hunting, fishing and trapping – that generate the money to pay for them. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation is responsible for public education, legal defense and research. Its mission is accomplished through several distinct programs coordinated to provide the most complete defense capability possible. Stay connected to Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
