| 1 | 1 | | BILL AS INTRODUCED H.447 |
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| 2 | 2 | | 2025 Page 1 of 3 |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | VT LEG #381071 v.1 |
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| 6 | 6 | | H.447 1 |
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| 7 | 7 | | Introduced by Representative Durfee of Shaftsbury 2 |
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| 8 | 8 | | Referred to Committee on 3 |
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| 9 | 9 | | Date: 4 |
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| 10 | 10 | | Subject: Internal security and public safety; animals; domestic pet or wolf-5 |
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| 11 | 11 | | hybrid control; licenses; general provisions 6 |
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| 12 | 12 | | Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to require 7 |
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| 13 | 13 | | veterinarians and domestic pet owners to send copies of the current rabies 8 |
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| 14 | 14 | | vaccine certificate for animal licensure to the municipal clerk. 9 |
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| 15 | 15 | | An act relating to rabies vaccination certificate requirements for domestic 10 |
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| 16 | 16 | | pet or wolf-hybrid licensure 11 |
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| 17 | 17 | | It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 12 |
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| 18 | 18 | | Sec. 1. 20 V.S.A. § 3581 is amended to read: 13 |
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| 19 | 19 | | § 3581. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS 14 |
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| 20 | 20 | | (a) A person who is the owner of a dog or wolf-hybrid more than six 15 |
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| 21 | 21 | | months old shall annually on or before April 1 cause it to be registered, 16 |
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| 22 | 22 | | numbered, described, and licensed on a form approved by the Secretary for one 17 |
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| 23 | 23 | | year from that day in the office of the clerk of the municipality in which the 18 |
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| 24 | 24 | | dog or wolf-hybrid is kept. A person who owns a working farm dog and who 19 |
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| 25 | 25 | | intends to use that dog on a farm pursuant to the exemptions in section 3549 of 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.447 |
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| 26 | 26 | | 2025 Page 2 of 3 |
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| 28 | 28 | | |
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| 29 | 29 | | VT LEG #381071 v.1 |
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| 30 | 30 | | this title shall cause the working farm dog to be registered as a working farm 1 |
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| 31 | 31 | | dog and shall, in addition to all other fees required by this section, pay $5.00 2 |
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| 32 | 32 | | for a working farm dog license. The owner of a dog or wolf-hybrid shall cause 3 |
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| 33 | 33 | | it to wear a collar and attach a license tag issued by the municipal clerk to the 4 |
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| 34 | 34 | | collar. Dog or wolf-hybrid owners shall pay for the license $4.00 for each 5 |
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| 35 | 35 | | neutered dog or wolf-hybrid, and $8.00 for each unneutered dog or wolf-6 |
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| 36 | 36 | | hybrid. If the license fee for any dog or wolf-hybrid is not paid on or before 7 |
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| 37 | 37 | | After April 1 of a given license year, its the owner or keeper may thereafter 8 |
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| 38 | 38 | | procure a license for that license year by paying a fee of 50 percent in excess 9 |
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| 39 | 39 | | of that otherwise required. 10 |
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| 40 | 40 | | (b) Before a person shall be entitled to obtain a license for a neutered dog 11 |
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| 41 | 41 | | or wolf-hybrid, he or she the person shall exhibit to the clerk a certificate 12 |
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| 42 | 42 | | signed by a duly licensed veterinarian showing that the dog or wolf-hybrid has 13 |
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| 43 | 43 | | been sterilized. 14 |
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| 44 | 44 | | * * * 15 |
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| 45 | 45 | | (d)(1) Before obtaining a license for a dog or wolf-hybrid six months of 16 |
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| 46 | 46 | | age or older, a person shall deliver to the municipal clerk a certificate or a 17 |
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| 47 | 47 | | certified copy thereof issued by a duly licensed veterinarian, stating that the 18 |
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| 48 | 48 | | dog or wolf-hybrid has received a current preexposure rabies vaccination with 19 |
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| 49 | 49 | | a vaccine approved by the Secretary, and the person shall certify that the dog 20 |
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| 50 | 50 | | or wolf-hybrid described in the certificate or copy is the dog or wolf-hybrid to 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.447 |
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| 51 | 51 | | 2025 Page 3 of 3 |
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| 52 | 52 | | |
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| 53 | 53 | | |
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| 54 | 54 | | VT LEG #381071 v.1 |
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| 55 | 55 | | be licensed. The municipal clerk shall keep the certificates or copies thereof 1 |
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| 56 | 56 | | on file. The Secretary shall prescribe the size and format of rabies certificates. 2 |
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| 57 | 57 | | The owner of any such dog or wolf-hybrid shall maintain a copy of the rabies 3 |
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| 58 | 58 | | vaccination form certificate and provide it to State or municipal officials upon 4 |
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| 59 | 59 | | request. 5 |
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| 60 | 60 | | (2) The rabies vaccination certificate shall include the following: 6 |
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| 61 | 61 | | (A) the signature of the veterinarian; 7 |
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| 62 | 62 | | (B) the dog or wolf-hybrid owner’s name and address; 8 |
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| 63 | 63 | | (C) the species, sex, age, color, and primary breed of the animal; and 9 |
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| 64 | 64 | | (D) the vaccination number and expiration date. 10 |
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| 65 | 65 | | (3) Veterinarians must present a list of rabies vaccinations to the 11 |
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| 66 | 66 | | municipal clerk every 30 days. 12 |
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| 67 | 67 | | * * * 13 |
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| 68 | 68 | | Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE 14 |
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| 69 | 69 | | This act shall take effect on July 1, 2025. 15 |
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