This is a placeholder text
Group text
by Tngsd on 11 February 2009 - 14:02
Maryland
New Maryland legislation takes the dangerous step of including dog breeding in the criminal code, and snags up anyone who owns or possesses 10 or more intact dogs over age four months in the requirements for housing, care and exercise.
A hearing has been set on this legislation before the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee on February 18 at 1 p.m.
Senate Bill 318, sponsored by Senators Lisa Gladden (District 41), George Della (District 46), Richard Madaleno (District 18), and Norman Stone (District 6) prohibits anyone in Maryland from owning, controlling or having custody and charge of more than 50 dogs that have not been spayed or neutered. Violation of this provision would be a criminal offense.
While that provision will affect hunt clubs and some professional trainers or handlers, the bill’s greatest impact will be on people who raise dogs as a hobby.
For anyone who owns, controls or possesses 10 or more sexually intact dogs over the age of four months, SB 318 imposes rules for dog housing, care and exercising in the criminal code. However, the legislation does not specify who will enforce this provision or make inspections, or how a kennel owner can prove compliance.
A “breeding dog” is defined as any dog that is sexually intact and older than four months. This definition includes all field trial, show and competition dogs in this age category, and also many hunting, herding, farm and companion dogs, even though they are not used for breeding, or may be only bred once in their lifetimes.
The American Sporting Dog Alliance sees this as a step to include all intact dogs in a commercial breeding category to impose much more stringent regulations. In the Maryland bill, however, it takes it a step further by criminalizing the breeding of dogs, even on a hobby level.
The housing and space requirements are minimal, although they might be construed to prohibit the common practice of having household dogs sleep in crates, or using crates for housebreaking.
But the exercise requirements are vague, in that they require every dog to be removed from its “primary enclosure” for two hours of exercise a day at a walking pace. “Primary enclosure” is not defined, but in many states it means a dog’s entire kennel run and, for dogs kept in a home, the entire part of the house that is accessible to a dog.
The legislation provides no means for a dog owner to prove that exercise requirements are being met, if challenged by an animal control officer, animal cruelty police officer or policeman. No standards of proof are specified.
Violations would be classified as misdemeanors under the criminal code, subject to a fine of up to $1,000.
Here is a link to the text of the legislation:
Contact information Disclaimer Privacy Statement Copyright Information Terms of Service Cookie policy ↑ Back to top