An Act To Ensure Humane Dog and Cat Breeding in the State
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 1053
Committee: AgIiculture, Conservation and Forestry
Sponsors: STEVENS, BLODGETT, BOLDUC, CONNOR, KAENRA TH, MORRISON
Amends: 7 MRSA §3923-A, 7 MRSA §3931-A, 7 MRSA §3933

MAINE STATE LEGISLATURE 
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124th MAl E LEGISLATURE 
Legislative Document 
No. 1053 
H.P.728 
House ofRepresentat~ves, March 17,2009 
An Act To Ensure Humane Dog and Cat Breeding in the State 
Reference to the Committee on AgIiculture, Conservation and Forestry suggested and 
ordered printed. 
Presented by Representative STEVENS of Bangor. 
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MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Cosponsored by Representatives: BLODGETT of Augusta, BOLDUC of Auburn, CONNOR 
of Kennebunk, CORNELL du HOUX of Bnmswick, FLAHERTY ofScarborovgh, 
KAENRA TH of South Portland, MORRISON of South Portland. 
Printed lJn recyclrd IJilper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 7 MRS A §3907, sub-§8-A, as amended by PL 2007, c. 702, §3, is further 
amended to read: 
8-A. Breeding l{ennel. "Breedirig ~em1el"lneans a location where .§. one or more 
female adult dogs, wolf hybrids or cats capable of breeding are kept and some or all of 
the offspring are offered for sale, sold or exchanged for value or a location \.."here more 
than 16 dogs or cats raised on the promises arc sold to the public in a 12 month period. 
"Breeding kennel" does not include a kennel licensed by a municipality under section 
3923-C when the dogs are kept primarily for hunting, show, training, mushing, field trials 
or exhibition purposes and not more than 16 dogs are' not offered for sale, sold or 
exchanged for value within a 12 month Deriod. 
Sec. 2. 7 MRSA §3923-A, sub-§l, as amended by PL 2007, c. 439, §15, ·is 
further amended to read: 
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1. Dogs capable of producing young. A dog owner or keeper shall pay a fee of $-1-+ 
$150 to the municipal clerk for each dog 6 months of age or older and capable of 
producing young. A dog is considered capable of producing young unless certification 
under subsection 2 is provided. 
The municipal clerk shall retain a $+ $10 recording fee and pay the remaining $W $140 
to the department for deposit in the Animal Welfare Fund. 
Sec. 3. 7 MRSA §3931-A, sub-§l, as amended by PL 1995, c. 490, §10, IS 
further amended to read: 
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License necessary. A person maintaining a breeding kennel, as defined in section 
3907, must obtain a license from the department and is subject to rules adopted by the 
department. The license expires 12 months after the date of issuance. An applicant for a 
breeding kennel license must state in the application the number of adult female dogs or 
cats capable ofbre~ding that are maintained at the breeding kennel. 
Sec. 4. 7 MRSA §3931-A, sub-§2, as amended byPL 2003, c. 405, §16, IS 
further amended to read: 
2. 
License fees. 
The fee for a breeding kennel license is $B calculated by 
multiplying the number of adulL fCl1lf1le dous and cats at the breeding kennel capable of 
breeding by $500. 
Sec. 5. 7 MRSA §3931-A, sub-§6 is enacted to read: 
6. Restriction. A person may not maintain a breeding kennel with more' than 10 
female adult dogs or cats capable of breeding. 
Sec. 6. 7 MRSA §3933, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2003, c. 405, §19, is further 
amended to read: 
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2. License fees. The fee for a pet shop license is $150. For a pet shop that offers for 
sale or sells dogs, the license fee is $150 plus $500 for each dog offered for sale or sold in 
the previous year. 
SUMMARY 
This bill amends the definition of "breeding kennel" to include any location where 
dogs or cats capable of breeding are kept and one or more dogs or cats are sold. It 
increases the fee for licensing a dog that has not been spayed or neutered. Itrestricts the 
number of adult female dogs or cats capable of breeding that can be kept at a breeding 
kemlel to 10. It establishes a license fee for breeding kelmels that is based on the number 
of adult female dogs or cats capable of breeding kept at the kennel. For pet shops that 
sell dogs, the license fee is increased incrementally based on the number of dogs sold or 
offered for sale in the previous year. 
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