Plain English Breakdown
The bill text mentions exceptions ('except as provided') for microchip implantation but does not detail what those specific exceptions are in the summary.
Bowie's Law: Rules for Animal Shelters and Dog Breeders
This law requires animal shelters to list available pets online, changes the rules for who counts as a dog breeder, and adds health check and microchip requirements for dogs sold by breeders.
What This Bill Does
- Requires animal shelters to post a clear list of all adoptable animals or those held under specific laws on their website or a third-party site in a noticeable place.
- Changes the definition of a 'dog breeder' to include anyone who sells, transfers, or gives away at least two litters or ten dogs in 12 months that were bred and raised on their premises.
- Mandates that breeders implant an identifying microchip in every dog before it is eight weeks old.
- Requires breeders to register the new owner with the microchip company as the primary owner when selling a dog and provide information about the chip.
- Prohibits breeders from selling or transferring dogs until they have received vaccinations against common diseases according to veterinary recommendations and a documented health check from a California-licensed veterinarian.
- Orders the Department of Food and Agriculture to study shelter overcrowding and report findings by January 1, 2028.
Who It Names or Affects
- Animal shelters as defined in state law
- People or businesses that breed dogs for sale or transfer (dog breeders)
- The California Department of Food and Agriculture
Terms To Know
- Dog breeder
- A person, firm, partnership, corporation, or other association that has sold, transferred, or given away all or part of two or more litters or ten or more dogs during the preceding 12 months.
- Microchip device
- A small electronic chip implanted in a dog to identify the breeder and later the new owner.
Limits and Unknowns
- The study on shelter overcrowding must be completed by January 1, 2028, but no specific solutions are required in this bill.
- Reimbursement for costs imposed on local agencies depends on a future decision by the Commission on State Mandates.