Pennsylvania Dog Law

Center Resources

Research Publications:

• What Is A Dangerous Dog?: A Look at the Pennsylvania Dangerous Dog Laws and the Controversy Surrounding Breed Specific Legislation (Apr. 2010)
• Pennsylvania Dog Law: Taking a Bite Out of Puppy Mill Crime (Apr. 2010)
• Pennsylvania’s Dog Law as it Relates to Agricultural Liability (June 2001)

Agricultural Law Briefs:

• Commission Approves New Regulations for Pennsylvania Commercial Dog Kennels (Sept. 2010)
• Federal Court Addresses the Constitutionality of Pennsylvania’s Dog Law (Oct. 2009)
• Dog Breeders Assert Constitutional Challenges to Pennsylvania Dog Law Amendments (Mar. 2009)
• Superior Court Rules that Ambiguity in Dog Law Prevents Conviction for Animal Cruelty (Feb. 2009)
• Governor Rendell Signs Legislation Significantly Amending Pennsylvania Dog Law (Oct. 2008)
• Federal Lawsuit Alleges Disparate Enforcement of PA Dog Law Against Lancaster County Kennels (Sept. 2008)
• Legislation Introduced to Amend Pennsylvania’s Dog Law & Animal Cruelty Law (May 2008)

Statutes

Federal:

• Animal Welfare Act, 7 U.S.C. §§ 2131-2159 (regulating who may possess or sell certain animals and the living conditions in which those animals must be kept)

Pennsylvania:

Pennsylvania statutes are accessible online through the Unofficial Purdon’s Pennsylvania Statutes website. Be aware that this information is subject to change as a result of subsequent amendments. Please consult an attorney if you are in need of the most up-to-date statutory information.

• Dog Law, 3 Pa. Cons. Stat. §§ 459-101-1205 (see Chapter 8) 

Regulations

Pennsylvania:

• Commercial Kennel Canine Health Regulation, 7 Pa. Code §§ 28.1-28.8 (see Chapter 28(a))
  • 40 Pa. Bull. 6903 (announces the adoption of Chapter 28(a) (relating to commercial kennel canine health regulations)) (Nov. 27, 2010)
• Dangerous Dogs, 7 Pa. Code §§ 27.1-27.13 (see Chapter 27)

Case Law

Some of these cases may be available at a law library or accessible online for those with LexisNexis, Westlaw, or other electronic database accounts.

U.S. District Courts:

• Pa. Prof'l Dog Breeders Ass'n v. Pa. Dep't of Agric., 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 90346 (M.D. Pa. Sept. 30, 2009) (denying plaintiffs request for a preliminary junction against the Dog Law because plaintiffs did not show a probability of success on the merits of their claim that certain provisions of the Dog Law would require additional regulations and that the plaintiffs should not be required to comply with them for a period of time).
• Prof'l Dog Breeders Advisory Council v. Wolff, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 83054,  (M.D. Pa. Sept. 11, 2009) (granting plaintiffs’ summary judgment motion with respect to a Dog Law provision that imposed a $300 fee on out of state dealers because defendants were unable to show the fee was the only way to forward a legitimate local interest and thus violated the Dormant Commerce Clause; denying plaintiffs other constitutional challenges to the Pennsylvania Dog Law due to the Commonwealth’s legitimate local interests). 

Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court: 

• Burkholder v. Dep't of Agric., 989 A.2d 73 (Pa. Commw. Ct. Feb. 8, 2010) (affirming Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Secretary’s decision to confirm the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement’s denial of plaintiffs’ 2009 kennel license application).
• Eckhart v. Dep't of Agric., 8 A.3d 401 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2010) (affirming Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Secretary’s order that sustained penalties administered pursuant to the Pa. Dog Law against plaintiffs).

Government Agencies

Pennsylvania Resources:

• Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
  • Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement
    • 2012 Dog Law Annual Report
  • PA Dog Licensing
  • Kennel Licensing

Other State Resources:

• Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services: Pet Law (Division of Animal Industry)
• Georgia Department of Agriculture: Animal Protection
• Indiana State Board of Animal Health: Companion Animals
• Missouri Department of Agriculture
  • Missouri Laws & Regulations for Animals & Livestock (see “Dogs & Cats”)
  • Dogs and Cats
• New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services: Office of Animal Welfare
• New York Department of Agriculture & Markets: Companion (Small) Animals
• North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services: Animal Welfare Section (Veterinary Division)
• Tennessee Department of Health: Division of Animal Welfare
• For more information on other State statutes concerning Dog Law please visit the Animal Legal & Historical Center

Publications 

Some of these articles may be available at a law library or accessible online for those with LexisNexis, Westlaw, or other electronic database accounts. Some hyperlinks may only be available for those users with access to HeinOnline.

Law Review Articles:

• Current Issues in Public Policy: Dealing Dogs: Can We Strengthen Weak Laws in the Dog Industry?, Sandra K. Jones, 7 Rutgers J.L. & Pub. Pol’y 442 (2010).
• Something Stinks: The Need for Environmental Regulation of Puppy Mills, Melissa Towsey, 21 Vill. Envtl. L.J. 159 (2010).
• What the General Practitioner Needs to Know About Pennsylvania Animal Law (Part III): Impact of Dog Bite Claims on the Insurance Industry, Paul R. Walker, 77 Pa Bar Assn. Quarterly 155 (2006).

 Other Publications:

• Dog Law Regulations: Myth Versus Reality (Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement, Pennsylvania Dept. of Agriculture, July 2011)
• PA Commercial Kennel/Breeding Operations – 11 Scenarios For Equipment Configuration (Design Learned, Inc., Apr. 2011)

Links

• Pennsylvania Dog Laws (Animal Legal & Historical Center, Michigan State University: College of Law)
• Dog Laws Topic Area (Animal Legal & Historical Center, Michigan State University: College of Law)