Editorial: June 6, 2025

Just days before the close of the New York Legislative session, bills have been introduced that weigh heavy on all hobby breeders in the state. Below is the correspondence from the American Kennel Club’s Government Relations Department. It not only explains the potential problems for hobby breeders in New York, but how to also voice your objection to these proposed bills. If this can happen in New York, it can happen in your home state, if in fact it hasn't already.

May 29, 2025

With just a few days before the end of the New York legislative session, bills have been filed in both the NY State Assembly and Senate that could force virtually every hobby breeder in the state to be licensed, inspected and regulated as pet dealers.

The bills include some clarifying language to address the ban on dog and cat sales in pet stores, which will go into effect in December 2025. However, the bills would also require anyone who breeds and sells/offers to sell nine animals born and raised on a residential premises to be licensed and regulated as commercial pet dealers. All references in current law to activity within a year are stricken, so it could apply to those who breed/sell 9 dogs total in a lifetime. 

The bills are assigned to the Assembly and Senate Agriculture Committees, and no hearings are currently scheduled. However, bills can move very quickly and with almost no warning in the final days of a session. It is essential for New York residents to contact their State Assemblymember and State Senator TODAY and express your opposition to Assembly Bill 8653 and Senate Bill 8252. 

Visit the AKC Legislative Action Center at www.akcgr.org/officials to type in your address and get the contact information for your State Assemblymember and State Senator. Please note that lawmakers are currently receiving thousands of emails on a variety of issues, so please consider calling and leaving a message with both the Albany office and district office.  Even leaving a voicemail after hours can make a difference! (Scroll down for more information and talking points) 

Summary:

Currently, the State of New York has numerous regulations for “pet dealers,” which are defined as anyone who sells or offers to sell at least 9 animals per year, or 25 if the animals were born and raised on the person’s premises. 

Assembly Bill 8653 and Senate Bill 8252 would significantly change the definition of regulated pet breeder to simply “any person who breeds animals and sells or offers to sell more than nine animals that are born and raised on such a person's residential premises directly to a consumer.” The exemption for those selling fewer than 25, and the clarification that the definition applies to those who bred and sold to that threshold within a year, are both removed. 

Talking Points:

Consider the following talking points when contact your state lawmakers:

Tell them you are a constituent and ask them to oppose Assembly Bill 8653 and Senate Bill 8252.

This is not simply language clarifying a new law for pet stores, this is a major change that could require the state to license and regulate home-based breeders – and inspect private homes.

The current pet dealer laws are intended for commercial operations. Some are simply not possible for someone who raises a litter in their home (for example, pet dealers are required to coordinate with a veterinarian to have regular visits to their premises. It is unlikely veterinarians will be able/willing to make regular visits to private homes).

Also, current law allows New York governments to enact their own laws relating to pet dealers – as long as the laws are at least as strict as state law.  As a result, many counties and cities throughout the state have further regulated and licensed pet dealers, some with requirements even stricter than state standards, which may not be reasonable or enforceable for those raising dogs in their private home.

This will place significant burdens and costs on state and local agencies and New York taxpayers. All pet dealers must be inspected prior to obtaining a license by the state.  This will require the state to make significantly more inspections due to the large increase in applicants.  In addition, it will place a large financial and administrative burden on the state and local governments to enforce unnecessary new inspections or requirements for a large new regulated class.

Home-based breeders are already subject to many state and local laws regarding the humane care of animals, so it is not necessary to license them as pet dealers to ensure they are breeding and raising dogs in a responsible manner.   

The AKC strongly supports current laws regarding cruelty and neglect for all animal owners.  However, these bills assume that hobbyists are commercial operations and regulate them accordingly.  Rather than establishing arbitrary new regulations for hobby breeders, AKC believes a better use for limited resources would be to enforce existing laws and address specific animal control issues where they may already exist.

AKC Government Relations and the Associated Dog Clubs of NY State will continue to provide updates as they are available.  For more information, contact doglaw@akc.org.