HB 249 - AS INTRODUCED
2021 SESSION
21-0300
08/10
HOUSE BILL 249
AN ACT relative to animal shelter facilities.
SPONSORS: Rep. Pearl, Merr. 26; Rep. Lang, Belk. 4; Rep. Moffett, Merr. 9
COMMITTEE: Environment and Agriculture
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
ANALYSIS
This bill:
I. Allows animal shelters to own or lease their facilities.
II. Clarifies which exemptions apply to animal shelters.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
 HB 249 - AS INTRODUCED
21-0300
08/10
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty One
AN ACT relative to animal shelter facilities.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 1 Definitions; Animal Shelter Facility. Amend RSA 437:1, I to read as follows:
2 I. "Animal shelter facility" means a facility, including the building and the immediate
3 surrounding area, which is used to house or contain animals and which is owned or leased, operated
4 and maintained by a duly incorporated humane society, animal welfare society, society for the
5 prevention of cruelty to animals, or other nonprofit organization devoted to the welfare, protection
6 and humane treatment of animals, and also a public pound for the housing of strays or a pound
7 operated by any person, excluding veterinarians, who contracts with a municipality to serve that
8 function.
9 2 Health Certificates for Dogs, Cats, and Ferrets; Animal Shelters. Amend RSA 437:8, V to read
10 as follows:
11 V. Animal shelter facilities, as defined in RSA 437:1, I, are exempt from the requirements of
12 this section relative to transferring dogs, cats, and ferrets except that:
13 (a) All dogs, cats, or ferrets transferred out of an animal shelter facility shall
14 have a form of positive identification, including, but not limited to a tattoo, collar,
15 microchip, ear tag, or any other permanent form of identification approved by the
16 commissioner.
17 (b) All dogs, cats, or ferrets shall be vaccinated against rabies in accordance
18 with RSA 436 before transfer, if proof of rabies vaccination is not available.
19 [(a)] (c) All animal shelter facilities shall have on premises a microchip scanner and
20 shall maintain a file of recognized pet retrieval agencies, including but not limited to national tattoo
21 or microchip registries.
22 [(b)] (d) Where an owner is not known, all animal shelter facilities shall inspect for
23 tattoos, ear tags, or other permanent forms of positive identification and shall scan for a microchip
24 upon admission of an unclaimed or abandoned animal as defined in RSA 437:18, IV and prior to
25 transferring ownership of an unclaimed or abandoned animal. Registered owners or agents shall
26 be contacted as soon as possible, not to exceed 72 hours, and alerted that the animal has
27 been taken in and is available to be reclaimed.
28 (e) If listed owners or agents cannot be located or refuse to reclaim possession of
29 the animal, secondary contacts listed by microchip registries shall be contacted as soon as
30 possible, not to exceed 72 hours.
 HB 249 - AS INTRODUCED
- Page 2 -
1 (f) No animal shelter shall transfer any dog, cat or ferret that is received from
2 outside of the state without an official health certificate and until the quarantine
3 requirements in 437:8, IV have been met.
4 3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.


Statutes affected:
Introduced: 437:1, 437:8
Ought to Pass: 437:1, 437:8
latest version: 437:1, 437:8