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House Lawmakers Hear Public Testimony on Animal Hoarding, Retail Pet Ban

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Animal advocates filled a legislative hearing room on Tuesday as a House Committee took public testimony on four separate pet-related bills. 

Lawmakers spent the morning working on a measure that would add a definition for animal hoarding into the state’s animal cruelty statute.

The measure, HB 1449, would also allow judges to mandate an evaluation and clinical treatment for those suspected of hoarding pets.

Backers of the measure said the change would give the courts more tools to address an issue that impacts both humans and their animals. 

“Be mindful of the fact that the individual may not be just a bad actor, but they may be somebody who is suffering from this diagnosable disorder,” Stacey Ober with the American Kennel Club told lawmakers.

Lawmakers raised questions about the availability of licensed mental health clinicians in the state who specialize in animal hoarding, as well as the financial burden of court-ordered therapy on those without health insurance.

Opponents of the legislation testified that the measure raises due process concerns and could lead to the criminalization of a mental illness.

“We do not want to walk that line or cross the line of finding a mental illness unlawful,” said Gina Scrofano during public comment.

Several high profile animal cruelty cases in recent years have placed a spotlight on the state’s animal cruelty statute. 

The House Environment and Agriculture Committee also heard testimony on a bill that would loosen the requirement for pet vendors to fall under state regulation. Under current law, anyone who transfers more than 25 cats or dogs in a year must register with the Department of Agriculture and open their facility to unannounced inspections. 

Many hobby breeders say that number is too low, and are backing House Bill 1630, which would raise the number of dogs to 35 per year, and 50 for cats. Other legislation addressing that issue is also working its way through the Senate.

Bill To Ban Retail Sale of Puppies and Kittens

House lawmakers also heard testimony Tuesday on a bill that would ban the sale of dogs, cats and rabbits at pet stores. 

Backers say the measure, House Bill 1388 would impact an estimated six retail stores in the state. While those facilities are regulated, critics say they often source their inventory from out-of-state puppy mills where animals live and breed in terrible conditions.

State Rep. Katherine Rogers told her colleagues that if you can’t shut the puppy mills down at the source, this would be a good alternative. 

“If we throw up our hands and say there is nothing we can do, then nothing will ever be done,” she said.

But retail stores counter that they’re animals come from USDA certified breeding operations. They also say they meet an important need in the state, as many prospective owners aren’t open to adopting through a rescue facility or interested in getting on a private breeder’s potentially long wait list.

“People do want us here. We do a serve a function,” said Paula Burdick, who owns Little Shop of Pets in Portsmouth. 

Burdick estimates that her shop sells between 350-400 puppies each year. 

In 2017, California became the first state to ban the sale of dogs and cats at retail stores. 

Todd started as a news correspondent with NHPR in 2009. He spent nearly a decade in the non-profit world, working with international development agencies and anti-poverty groups. He holds a master’s degree in public administration from Columbia University.
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