This week on The Good Dog Pod, we are joined by our very own Cat Matloub, Esq. who is the Head of Partnerships at Good Dog. Cat is a trained attorney, and works with the rest of the Good Dog Legal Team on educating breeders about canine legislation around the country. 

Recent government overreach into the breeder’s home is a topic that continues to impact the average dog owner. Cat mentions that the legislation being passed does stem from having good intentions, but the individuals drafting those legislations are not informed on responsible breeding practices. The results are ultimately harmful to breeders who are engaging in responsible breeding practices, to the extent that many good breeders are pushed out of the system. When good breeders are exiting the system, and the bad actors become more prominent, we have less healthy dogs being bred. 

Laura emphasizes that there are indeed good breeders out there. 

Laura mentions her powerful conversation with Patti Strand, who is the President of the National Animal Interest Alliance. A specific piece of legislation is taking form in California. In California, if you are selling more than 20 dogs a year, or having more than 3 litters, you are already regulated to a certain degree. Much of what this new bill does is duplicative, but extends it to people who might have only one dog or cat, and choose to breed that dog or cat. 

The bill is called the Pet Breeder Humane Care Act, but Patti dubbed it as the Humane Breeder Elimination Act or the Breed Extinction Act of 2021. There is already a shortage of dogs, so the need for this bill is non-existent. California receives most of the dogs from out of state or out of country, so the argument that the bill is making is extremely weak. 

We now shift gears back to Cat, who talks about Good Dog’s position with regards to the animal legislation taking place in California. Good Dog’s position is grounded on our mission to unite dog breeders around the country, and to educate the public about the importance of dog breeders. Good Dog does not support the California Assembly Bill 702 nor any of the other overreaching and anti-breeding legislation. 

We encourage anyone who is a dog lover, dog owner, dog breeder, past dog owner to reach out to your state representative if you are in California, or Georgia, and talk to them or send them a letter. In our Legal Resource Center, www.gooddog.com/good-breeder-legal-resource-center, we have sample talking points and letters that you can use, as well as other useful documents. We encourage you to spread the word, and speak up!