II
110th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3519
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 18 (legislative day, September 17), 2008
Mr. Durbin (for himself, Mrs. Feinstein, Mrs. McCaskill, and Mr. Wyden) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
A BILL
To amend the Animal Welfare Act to provide further protection for puppies.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the
Puppy Uniform Protection and Safety
Act
.
Regulation of high-volume sellers of puppies
Retail pet store defined
Section 2 of the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 2132) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
The term
retail pet store
means a person that—
sells an animal directly to the public for use as a pet; and
does not breed or raise more than 50 dogs for use as pets during any one-year period.
.
Licenses
Section 3 of the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 2133) is amended in the second proviso—
by
striking retail pet store or other person who
and inserting
retail pet store, or other person who (1) does not breed or raise more
than 50 dogs for use as pets during any one-year period, and (2)
;
and
by striking
research facility
and inserting research
facility,
.
Humane standards
Section 13 of the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 2143) is amended—
by redesignating subsections (g) and (h) as subsections (h) and (i), respectively;
by redesignating the second subsection (f) as subsection (g); and
by adding at the end the following new subsection:
Subject to paragraph (2), a dealer shall provide each dog held by such dealer that is of the age of 12 weeks or older with a minimum of two exercise periods during each day for a total of not less than one hour of exercise during such day. Such exercise shall include removing the dog from the dog’s primary enclosure and allowing the dog to walk for the entire exercise period, but shall not include use of a treadmill, catmill, jenny mill, slat mill, or similar device, unless prescribed by a doctor of veterinary medicine.
Paragraph (1) shall not apply to a dog certified by a doctor of veterinary medicine, on a form designated by and submitted to the Secretary, as being medically precluded from exercise.
.
Effect on State law
The amendments made by this Act shall not be construed to preempt any law or regulation of a State or a political subdivision of a State containing requirements that are greater than the requirements of the amendments made by this Act.