HB 1816 — An Act providing for prohibited and required actions regarding pet shop-kennels for dogs, cats and rabbits; imposing duties on the Department of Agriculture; and imposing penalties.

PRINTER'S NO.   2237

                    THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                        HOUSE BILL
                        No. 1816
                                               Session of
                                                 2025

     INTRODUCED BY McNEILL, TOMLINSON, HILL-EVANS, BIZZARRO,
        SCHLOSSBERG, SANCHEZ, CONKLIN, SAPPEY, VENKAT, BRENNAN,
        PROBST, HADDOCK, DONAHUE, MUSTELLO, WARREN, RIVERA, HOWARD,
        MERSKI AND PARKER, AUGUST 21, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON CONSUMER PROTECTION, TECHNOLOGY AND
        UTILITIES, AUGUST 22, 2025


                                    AN ACT
 1   Providing for prohibited and required actions regarding pet
 2      shop-kennels for dogs, cats and rabbits; imposing duties on
 3      the Department of Agriculture; and imposing penalties.
 4      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 5   hereby enacts as follows:
 6   Section 1.    Short title.
 7      This act shall be known and may be cited as the Pet Shop-
 8   Kennel Act.
 9   Section 2.    Definitions.
10      The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
11   have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
12   context clearly indicates otherwise:
13      "Agent."    A person, as defined in section 102 of the Dog Law,
14   who is authorized by the Dog Law to process applications for dog
15   license certificates and issue dog license certificates and
16   tags.
17      "Boarding kennel."    As follows:
 1        (1)     An establishment available to the general public
 2    where a dog, cat or rabbit is housed for compensation by the
 3    day, week or a specified or unspecified time.
 4        (2)     The term includes:
 5              (i)    A boarding facility operated by a licensed
 6        doctor of veterinary medicine whether or not the boarding
 7        facility is on the same premises as a building or
 8        structure subject to the provisions of the Veterinary
 9        Medicine Practice Act.
10              (ii)    An establishment available to the general
11        public that, for consideration, takes control of a dog,
12        cat or rabbit from the owner for a portion of a day for
13        the purposes of exercise, day care or entertainment of
14        the dog, cat or rabbit.
15        (3)     The term does not include:
16              (i)    A kennel where the practice of veterinary
17        medicine is performed if the kennel is covered by the
18        provisions of the Veterinary Medicine Practice Act.
19              (ii)    An establishment engaged only in the grooming
20        or training of dogs, cats or rabbits.
21        (4)     For the purpose of this term, each time that a dog,
22    cat or rabbit enters the kennel, the animal shall be counted
23    as one dog, cat or rabbit.
24    "Cat."    The genus and species known as Felis catus.
25    "Dealer."     A person that:
26        (1)     publicly or privately sells or offers for sale a
27    dog, cat or rabbit belonging to another person for
28    consideration, including a fee, commission or percentage of
29    the sale price;
30        (2)     transfers dogs, cats or rabbits at wholesale for

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 1      resale to another person; or
 2          (3)    offers or maintains dogs, cats or rabbits at
 3      wholesale for resale to another person.
 4      "Department."     The Department of Agriculture of the
 5   Commonwealth.
 6      "Dog."    The genus and species known as Canis familiaris.
 7      "Dog Law."      The act of December 7, 1982 (P.L.784, No.225),
 8   known as the Dog Law.
 9      "Establishment."     As follows:
10          (1)    The premises on, in or through which a dog, cat or
11      rabbit is kept, bred, harbored, boarded, sheltered,
12      maintained, sold, given away, exchanged or in any way
13      transferred.
14          (2)    The term encompasses all of the following on, in or
15      through which any of the activities under paragraph (1) take
16      place:
17                (i)    The home, homestead, place of business or
18          operation of a person, including a dealer, which includes
19          all of the land, property, housing facilities or any
20          combination of land, property or housing facilities of
21          the person.
22                (ii)    All of the individuals residing in or on the
23          establishment.
24                (iii)    A person, organization, business or operation
25          which utilizes offsite or rescue network kennel homes to
26          keep, maintain, breed, train, harbor, board, shelter,
27          sell, give away, adopt, exchange or in any way transfer
28          dogs, cats or rabbits.
29          (3)    The term does not include a gathering of dog, cat or
30      rabbit owners in which dogs, cats and rabbits remain in the

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 1      custody and care of their owners, including:
 2                (i)    A hotel or campground.
 3                (ii)    A place for grooming or training.
 4                (iii)    An event, including a dog, cat or rabbit show
 5          or performance event, a field trial or a hunting event.
 6      "Housing facility."       A structure that provides animals with
 7   shelter, protection from the elements and protection from
 8   temperature extremes.
 9      "Humane society or association."        A nonprofit society or
10   association that:
11          (1)     Is duly incorporated in accordance with 15 Pa.C.S.
12      Ch. 53 Subch. A (relating to incorporation generally) for the
13      purpose of the prevention of cruelty to animals.
14          (2)     Has a licensed physical kennel facility that can
15      house a minimum of 10 animals.
16          (3)     Is not located on a residential property.
17      "Kennel."    As follows:
18          (1)     For dogs, either of the following:
19                (i)    An establishment in or through which at least 26
20          dogs are kept or transferred in a calendar year.
21                (ii)    A boarding kennel.
22          (2)     For cats or rabbits, either of the following:
23                (i)    An establishment:
24                       (A)   in or through which cats or rabbits are kept
25                or transferred; and
26                       (B)   for which a license is required under
27                applicable law, based on specified numbers of cats or
28                rabbits or other criteria, prior to January 1, 2027.
29                (ii)    A boarding kennel.
30      "Licensed doctor of veterinary medicine."        A person who is

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 1   currently licensed in accordance with the Veterinary Medicine
 2   Practice Act.
 3      "Owner."     When applied to the proprietorship of a dog, cat or
 4   rabbit, a person that:
 5          (1)     has a right of property in the dog, cat or rabbit;
 6          (2)     keeps or harbors the dog, cat or rabbit;
 7          (3)     has the dog, cat or rabbit in the person's care; or
 8          (4)     permits the dog, cat or rabbit to remain on or about
 9      the premises occupied by the person.
10      "Pet shop-kennel."      A kennel or person that acquires and
11   sells dogs, cats or rabbits for the purpose of resale, whether
12   as owner, agent or consignee, and sells or offers to sell the
13   dogs, cats or rabbits on a retail basis.
14      "Police officer."      As follows:
15          (1)     An individual:
16                 (i)    who is employed or elected by this Commonwealth
17          or a municipality of this Commonwealth; and
18                 (ii)   whose duty includes preserving the peace,
19          making arrests or enforcing the law.
20          (2)     The term includes a constable or deputy constable.
21      "Rabbit."    As follows:
22          (1)     A domesticated or pet rabbit.
23          (2)     The term does not include a rabbit intended for
24      human consumption.
25      "Rescue network kennel."      A kennel that utilizes rescue
26   network kennel homes with the goal of ultimately transferring
27   the dog, cat or rabbit to a permanent owner or keeper through
28   any means of transfer.
29      "Rescue network kennel home."          An establishment to which a
30   rescue network kennel assigns a dog, cat or rabbit until the

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 1   dog, cat or rabbit is ultimately transferred to a permanent
 2   home.
 3      "State dog warden."      An employee of the department whose
 4   primary duty is to enforce the Dog Law and the regulations
 5   promulgated in accordance with the Dog Law.
 6      "Veterinary Medicine Practice Act."       The act of December 27,
 7   1974 (P.L.995, No.326), known as the Veterinary Medicine
 8   Practice Act.
 9   Section 3.     Licenses and conduct.
10      (a)   Issuance or renewal prohibited.--
11            (1)   For dogs, the department may not issue or renew a
12      pet shop-kennel license under the Dog Law after December 31,
13      2026.
14            (2)   For cats and rabbits, a license required under
15      applicable law for a kennel may not be issued or renewed
16      after December 31, 2026.
17      (b)   Construction.--
18            (1)   Subject to paragraph (2), subsection (a) shall not
19      be construed to prohibit a pet shop-kennel from offering
20      space to a humane society or association or a rescue network
21      kennel for the purpose of showcasing adoptable animals to the
22      public.
23            (2)   Fees for the showcasing of adoptable animals under
24      paragraph (1), including adoption fees, may not be paid to
25      the pet shop-kennel.
26      (c)   Required and prohibited actions.--
27            (1)   This subsection applies to:
28                  (i)   For dogs, a person holding a pet shop-kennel
29            license in accordance with the Dog Law, which was issued
30            or renewed prior to January 1, 2027.

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 1                  (ii)    For cats and rabbits, a pet shop-kennel
 2            operating under a license required under applicable law
 3            for a kennel, which was issued or renewed prior to
 4            January 1, 2027.
 5            (2)   Beginning January 1, 2027, a person or pet shop-
 6      kennel described under paragraph (1):
 7                  (i)    Shall immediately cease and desist from
 8            operating the kennel, including buying, exchanging,
 9            selling, offering for sale, giving away or in any way
10            transferring cats or rabbits.
11                  (ii)    Except as permitted under subsection (b)(1),
12            may not acquire additional dogs, cats or rabbits or
13            increase the number of dogs, cats or rabbits in the
14            kennel by any means, including breeding.
15                  (iii)    Must permit a State dog warden, a police
16            officer and any other person otherwise authorized by law
17            to inspect the kennel without a warrant in order to
18            determine compliance with an order of the department, any
19            relevant court order and any provision of this act.
20   Section 4.     Penalties.
21      (a)   Offense defined.--Failure to comply with this act, in
22   addition to any other penalty prescribed by law, may result in
23   imposition by the department of an administrative penalty of not
24   less than $100 nor more than $500 per day for each violation.
25   Each dog, cat or rabbit shall count as one violation.
26      (b)   Grading.--A violation of this act shall constitute a
27   misdemeanor of the third degree.
28   Section 5.     Effective date.
29      This act shall take effect January 1, 2027.



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