In letter to conference committee, MMA raises municipal concerns relative to bill addressing pet kennels, treatment and safety

The Honorable Rep. James J. O’Day
The Honorable Rep. Jack Patrick Lewis
The Honorable Rep. Steven S. Howitt
The Honorable Sen. Paul R. Feeney
The Honorable Sen. Jason M. Lewis
The Honorable Sen. Bruce E. Tarr
State House, Boston

Delivered electronically

Dear Distinguished Members of the Conference Committee:

On behalf of the cities and towns of the Commonwealth, the Massachusetts Municipal Association is writing to share comments as you work to reconcile the House and Senate versions of the bill An Act relative to pet equity, treatment and safety (H. 5589 and S. 3028). Recognizing the important role cities and towns play in the enforcement of animal control laws and licensing of dogs and commercial kennels, the MMA would like to offer the municipal perspective as you work diligently to prepare a final bill for consideration.

The MMA has concerns over language in the House bill regarding expanded requirements for local kennel licensing authorities created in Section 18 of the bill. Currently, local licensing authorities must submit a list of all kennels and their addresses to the Department of Agricultural Resources under Chapter 140 Section 137A(e)(1). The House bill would expand the requirement to include a number of additional metrics, including the status of the license, kennel owner’s name, and the number of injuries that resulted in an enforcement action. This additional burden is also met with a new penalty for noncompliance, created by Section 19 of the bill, which creates a fine of up to $500 for the first infraction and up to $1,000 for the second. This penalty is an overly punitive enforcement mechanism against municipal governments, which penalizes municipal clerks and animal control departments rather than supporting them with the resources needed to manage complex data tracking.

Therefore, the MMA respectfully requests that the conference committee not include Sections 18-19 of H. 5589. Municipalities share your goal of ensuring pet safety, but punishing cities and towns with financial penalties is counterproductive to local administrative realities. Rather than diverting scarce local revenue away from public safety, the final bill should prioritize technical support and grant resources to help municipal clerks and animal control departments upgrade their reporting systems over time.

We thank you for your consideration of the municipal perspective on this critical piece of legislation.

If you have any questions or require additional information, please do not hesitate to have your office contact me, MMA Senior Executive and Legislative Director Dave Koffman at [email protected], or MMA Legislative Analyst Ali DiMatteo at [email protected], at any time.

Thank you for your support of 351 cities and towns and for your consideration on this important matter.

Sincerely,

Adam Chapdelaine
MMA Executive Director and CEO