An Act To Amend the Laws Regarding Humane Agents and Dog Licenses
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 1742
Committee: Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
Sponsors: SMITH
Amends: 7 MRSA §3906-B, 7 MRSA §3907, 7 MRSA §392

12lst MAINE LEGISLATURE 
Legislative Document 
No. 1742 
H.P.1264 
House of Representatives, December 22,2003 
An Act To Amend the Laws Regarding Humane Agents and Dog 
Licenses 
Submitted by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources pursuant to Joint 
Rule 204. 
Received by. the Clerk of the House on December 17, 2003. Referred to the Committee on 
Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed 
pursuant to Joint Rule 401. 
Presented by Representative SMITH of Monmouth. 
Printed on recycled paper 
--n;~ /h.71l~ 
Mll..LICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 7 MRSA §3906-B, sub-§9-A, 1JF, as enacted by PL 2003, 
c. 405, §2, is amended to read: 
F. 
Training ~e~-hamaBe-a~eB~6. 
Sec. 2. 7 MRSA §3907, sub-§17, as amended by PL 1995, c. 409, 
§1, is further amended to read: 
17. 
Kenne1. 
"Kennel" means 
eae-pa-e-k--<l-r--G{}-1-J...e.G.t,.i{Hl·-e~ 5 or 
more dogs or wolf hybrids kept in a single location under one 
ownership for breeding, hunting, show, training, field trials and 
exhibition purposes. 
The 
sale or exchange of one litter of 
p'yp'pies within a 12-month period alone does not constitute the 
operation of a kennel. 
Sec. 3. 7 MRS A §3909, sub-§3-A, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 405, 
§6, is amended to read: 
3-A. 
Humane 
agents; 
training 
requirements. 
Continuing 
employment of 
a 
humane agent hired after October 
1, 
2003 is 
contingent upon the successful completion by that. agent of a 
100-hour service training program at the Maine Criminal Justice 
Academy 
or 
a 
nationally 
recognized 
training 
program 
on 
investigation and enforcement of animal welfare laws 
and the 
successful completion of an examination on state animal welfare 
laws and rules adopted pursuant to this Part. 
A humane agent, regardless of appointment date, shall complete 
training in the handling of small and large animals and a minimum 
of 40 hours of training each year, including a combination of 
classroom and hands-on training. 
Sec. 4. 7 MRS A §3923-C, sub-§I, as amended by PL 1997, c. 690, 
§17, is further amended to read: 
1. 
License necessary. 
A person having a-~ae*-e£--ee~lee~ieB 
e~ 5 or more dogs for the purposes set forth in section 3907, 
subsection 17 shall obtain a kennel license from the clerk of the 
municipality where the dogs are kept and that person is subject 
to rules adopted by the department. 
The sex, registered number 
and description are not required 
e~ for the dogs covered by a 
kennel license. 
The license expires December 31st annually. 
The 
kennel 
license permits 
the 
licensee 
or 
authorized 
agent 
to 
transport under control and supervision the kennel dogs in or 
outside the State. 
Sec. 5. 7 MRSA §392J..G, sub-§4, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 405, 
§15, is amended to read: 
Page l-LR2496(1) 
4. 
Distribution of licensing fee. 
The commissioner shall 
deposit all fees received under this section into the Animal 
Welfare Fund. 
The commissioner shall establish procedures for 
participating 
municipalities 
to 
periodically 
receive 
the 
appropriate credit or payment for license fees collected by the 
department under this section. 
A municipality is entitled to a 
payment or credit of $3 for each dog or wolf hybrid incapable of 
producing young and $1 for each dog or wolf hybrid capable of 
producing young licensed under this section. 
All payments or 
credits received by a municipality must be deposited or credited 
to 
the municipality's 
animal 
welfare 
account 
established 
in 
accordance with section 3945. 
SUMMARY 
This bill amends the Animal Welfare Act in the following 
ways: 
1. 
It clarifies that all humane agents are required to 
complete specified training requirements; 
2. 
It removes the use of the term "pack or collection" for 
kennel licensing purposes, instead specifying that it applies to 
persons having 5 or more dogs; 
3. 
It allows municipalities to retain $1 of the licensing 
fee for each dog or wolf hybrid capable of producing young; and 
4. 
It clarifies the definition of "kennel."