On Monday, Feb. 27, at 10 a.m. in room 2B, the Joint Environmental Committee will hear sweeping legislation intended to beef up animal-cruelty and breeding-kennel laws. Instead, the proposal is not well-defined and blurs the lines between commercial breeders, which exist primarily to sell puppies, and hobbyists, such as sporting dog breeders, who raise dogs for hunting, field trials and other performance events. Senate Bill 1069 eliminates the category of kennel, which is defined as “one pack or collection of dogs which are kept under one ownership at a single location and are bred for show, sport or sale.”
“Vague language like this is either a purposeful trap for law-abiding dog owners or a lazy effort with no care for unintended consequences,” said Todd Adkins, vice president of government affairs with the Sportsmen’s Alliance. “Either way, it’s terrible policymaking.”
Eliminating the lines between commercial and private kennels is also a concern because SB 1069 allows animal-control officers to inspect at any time, any facility that breeds, not sells, but merely breeds more than two litters of dogs in one year. Because “facility” is not defined, this could result in unannounced inspections of the homes of hobby breeders who keep their dogs inside their house.
Senate Bill 1069 will result in sporting dog kennels and hobby breeders being treated as commercial entities. Affordable and high-quality sporting dogs are essential to Connecticut hunters, and this bill will only increase the costs without any benefit to sportsmen.
Please use our take action button to email the members of the committee urging them to oppose SB 1069. 
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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.
