This bill amends the current dog licensing law to allow owners of 7 or fewer dogs to obtain a group license, replacing the previous threshold of 5 or more dogs. The bill introduces a new fee structure, increasing the group license fee from $20 to $28, with a portion allocated to a companion animal neutering fund. Additionally, if an owner keeps more than 7 dogs, they must obtain individual licenses for each additional dog, which will incur a supplemental fee based on the number of dogs over the limit. The bill also changes the age limit for exempting puppies from licensing fees from 3 months to 6 weeks.

Furthermore, the bill imposes new requirements on holders of group licenses, stating that they cannot sell, gift, or trade any dog without first obtaining a license for that dog. The legislation ensures that town clerks cannot refuse to issue a group license to compliant owners and mandates that numbered license tags be provided upon request. The effective date for these changes is set for July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 466:6