Why It Matters: Seemingly innocuous bills can sometimes carry significant unexpected consequences for law-abiding sportsmen and women. Currently, California Assembly Bill 519, which has moved through both chambers with wide support, is one such example that has some members of the sporting-conservation community concerned. On the surface, the bill reads as an anti-puppy mill effort, but concerns persist among those in the legal, regulated business of breeding sporting dogs.
Highlights:
- California Assembly Bill 519 has currently passed both chambers with unanimous support and only awaits concurrence in the Assembly before heading to the Governor’s Desk.
- As amended, AB 519 seeks to ban the brokering of dogs under one year of age, cats, and dogs.
- While recent amendments to the bill to extinguish some concerns shared by legal, regulated dog breeders, other concerns persist regarding the bill’s potential to inhibit the ability of breeders to assist in helping potential dog owners find a sporting dog that meets their needs.
Not every piece of legislation related to our sporting-conservation heritage is black and white. Some require a very nuanced, at times even skeptical, evaluation to determine the impact that legislation may have on opportunities for sportsmen and women. California Assembly Bill 519 represents a current example of such legislation. Seeking to end the practice of brokering the sale of dogs, cats, and rabbits, this legislation would make it illegal for a third-party “broker” to facilitate the sale of puppies, cats, and rabbits in exchange for a profit. AB 519 is claimed to target the practices of puppy mills in the state of California.
Despite receiving unanimous support as the bill has progressed through both chambers, partners within the sporting-conservation community have raised serious concerns about the bill’s potential impact on otherwise legal, regulated dog breeders who supply many common sporting dogs to sportsmen and women. During a recent interview with colleagues at the California Rifle and Pistol Association (CRPA), Legislative Director Rick Travis presented an anecdote in which he, as a licensed breeder, does not have a litter of puppies available but introduces a client to a breeder who does. While he would not directly profit from this interaction, he could receive future connections that would result in him selling a dog based on this reference. Given the bill’s vague definitions, despite recent amendments, this is a concern amongst the often close-knit sporting dog breeder communities.
Other partners have also raised concerns about this legislation. However, the bill continues to progress through the legislative process having passed both chambers. At this time, the Assembly simply needs to concur with Senate amendments before the bill is finally passed and eligible to be sent to the Governor’s desk for signature.
