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| 2 | 2 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1144 FILED ON: 1/18/2023 |
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| 3 | 3 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 747 |
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| 4 | 4 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 5 | 5 | | _________________ |
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| 6 | 6 | | PRESENTED BY: |
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| 7 | 7 | | Bruce J. Ayers |
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| 8 | 8 | | _________________ |
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| 9 | 9 | | To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General |
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| 10 | 10 | | Court assembled: |
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| 11 | 11 | | The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill: |
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| 12 | 12 | | An Act relative to the sale of dogs and cats in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. |
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| 13 | 13 | | _______________ |
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| 14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
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| 15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Bruce J. Ayers1st Norfolk1/18/2023 1 of 2 |
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| 16 | 16 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1144 FILED ON: 1/18/2023 |
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| 17 | 17 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 747 |
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| 18 | 18 | | By Representative Ayers of Quincy, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 747) of Bruce J. |
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| 19 | 19 | | Ayers relative to the sale of dogs, cats and rabbits in pet shops. Environment and Natural |
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| 20 | 20 | | Resources. |
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| 21 | 21 | | [SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION |
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| 22 | 22 | | SEE HOUSE, NO. 306 OF 2021-2022.] |
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| 23 | 23 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 24 | 24 | | _______________ |
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| 25 | 25 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court |
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| 26 | 26 | | (2023-2024) |
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| 27 | 27 | | _______________ |
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| 28 | 28 | | An Act relative to the sale of dogs and cats in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. |
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| 29 | 29 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 30 | 30 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 31 | 31 | | 1 Chapter 129 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 39A the |
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| 32 | 32 | | 2following section: |
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| 33 | 33 | | 3 Section 39A½. A pet shop operator shall not sell a live dog, cat or rabbit in a pet shop |
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| 34 | 34 | | 4unless the dog, cat or rabbit was obtained from a publicly owned animal pound, public animal |
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| 35 | 35 | | 5control agency or shelter, society for the prevention of cruelty to animals shelter, humane society |
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| 36 | 36 | | 6shelter or rescue group that is in a cooperative agreement with at least 1 private or public |
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| 37 | 37 | | 7shelter.Each pet shop shall maintain records sufficient to document the source of each dog, cat or |
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| 38 | 38 | | 8rabbit that the pet shop sells or provides space for, for at least 1 year. Each pet shop shall post, in |
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| 39 | 39 | | 9a conspicuous location on the cage or enclosure of each animal, a sign listing the name of the |
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| 40 | 40 | | 10publicly owned animal pound, public animal control agency or shelter, society for the prevention 2 of 2 |
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| 41 | 41 | | 11of cruelty to animals shelter, humane society shelter, or rescue group from which each dog, cat |
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| 42 | 42 | | 12or rabbit was obtained. Publicly owned animal pound and public animal control agencies or |
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| 43 | 43 | | 13shelters may periodically require pet shops engaged in the sale of dogs, cats or rabbits to provide |
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| 44 | 44 | | 14access to said records. |
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| 45 | 45 | | 15 A pet shop operator who violates this section shall be subject to a civil penalty of $500. |
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| 46 | 46 | | 16Each animal offered for sale in violation of this section shall constitute a separate violation. |
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