PRINTER'S NO. 54
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No.
78
Session of
2015
INTRODUCED BY ALLOWAY, TEPLITZ, FARNESE, GREENLEAF, TARTAGLIONE,
VULAKOVICH, WARD, RAFFERTY, WOZNIAK AND BOSCOLA,
JANUARY 14, 2015
REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE AND RURAL AFFAIRS, JANUARY 14, 2015
AN ACT
Amending the act of December 7, 1982 (P.L.784, No.225),
entitled, as amended, "An act relating to dogs, regulating
the keeping of dogs; providing for the licensing of dogs and
kennels; providing for the protection of dogs and the
detention and destruction of dogs in certain cases;
regulating the sale and transportation of dogs; declaring
dogs to be personal property and the subject of theft;
providing for the abandonment of animals; providing for the
assessment of damages done to animals; providing for payment
of damages by the Commonwealth in certain cases and the
liability of the owner or keeper of dogs for such damages;
imposing powers and duties on certain State and local
officers and employees; providing penalties; and creating a
Dog Law Restricted Account," further providing for
definitions and for revocation or refusal of kennel licenses.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 102 of the act of December 7, 1982
(P.L.784, No.225), known as the Dog Law, is amended by adding a
definition to read:
Section 102. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
have, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the
meanings given to them in this section:
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"Immediate family." Includes a spouse, child, parent,
brother, sister, grandparent and grandchild and a spouse
thereof, a domestic partner and any other individual related by
blood or affinity whose close association with the licensee is
the equivalent of a family relationship.
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Section 2. Section 211(a) introductory paragraph, amended
October 9, 2008 (P.L.1450, No.119), is amended to read:
Section 211. Revocation or refusal of kennel licenses.
(a) General powers of secretary.--The secretary shall revoke
a kennel license, dealer license or out-of-state dealer license
if a licensee is convicted of a violation of 18 Pa.C.S. § 5511
(relating to cruelty to animals) or of substantially similar
conduct pursuant to a cruelty law of another state. The
secretary shall not issue a kennel license, dealer license or
out-of-state dealer license to a person that has been convicted
of a violation of 18 Pa.C.S. § 5511 within the last ten years[.]
nor to a person who is a member of the immediate family of the
convicted person who seeks to operate a kennel at the same
location as the convicted person unless the immediate family
member shows by clear and convincing evidence that the convicted
person will have no ownership interest in the kennel and play no
role in the care of the dogs or management of the kennel. If the
secretary subsequently determines that the convicted person has
ownership interest, cares for the dogs or manages the kennel,
the license to operate the kennel shall be permanently revoked.
The secretary may revoke or refuse to issue a kennel license,
dealer license or out-of-state dealer license for any one or
more of the following reasons:
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Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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