No one, including (I suspect) the lone Democrat Rep who sponsored the legislation, New Market Democrat Ellen Read, expects HB1102 to get very far. The Bill would modify the state’s animal cruelty law to effectively ban English and French bulldogs, bull mastiffs, Boston terriers, boxers, pugs, shih tzus, Lhasa apsos, and Pekingese.
By ban, I mean the breeding for sale of Brachycephalic Dogs. These are flat-faced pups with shortened snouts that can lead to a variety of pre-ordained health issues. According to this source,
While not all of these dogs have associated health problems, the shape of the nose and head of a brachycephalic dog can place them at risk for a condition called brachycephalic airway syndrome, says Dr. Cheryl Yuill for Veterinary Centers of America. VCA Hospitals. There are four distinct upper airway abnormalities that can cause this condition, and a brachycephalic dog can have one or more of these abnormalities.
Read’s Bill would prohibit their sale in the state, their breeding being statutorily defined as animal cruelty, changes that include two or more of “an animal that has a birth deformity that causes suffering.”
No matter your thoughts on Bull Dogs, Pugs, or any other related varieties, labradors, for example, tend to be born with hip dysplasia. It may or may not cause suffering, but the odds of it are not low, while treatment can be reasonable and noninvasive. My dog, Cosmo, was diagnosed with hip dysplasia around the age of one. He’s been on joint supplements since (a daily chewable tablet), and, as he approaches his 8th birthday, has never once shown any discomfort, lack of mobility, or disinterest in testing his speed or agility at the dog park (or chasing critters in the yard) since diagnosed. But, technically, were the breeder to have had two such instances in that litter (his was eight pups), I believe they could be said to have violated the statute as modified by HB1102.
It’s absurd. The quality of his life, and ours for having him in it, have been exceptional. And while I’ve never owned a Brachycephalic Dog, I know people who have or do, and they love each other a great deal, experiencing the joys of pet and owner (not to mention the added commerce created by pet ownership in general).
In other words, whether a constituent requested this Bill or it came to Rep. Read in a progressive fever dream, it is a ridiculous proposition. Two of the (would be) banned dogs are in the top ten most popular breeds in the US, with the French Bulldog at number one (the other is the English Bulldog at No. 6). Related: The Climate Cult is “Coming” For the Family Pet – Dogs and Cats Contribute to Global Warming.
The Bill does not ban your getting a breed outside New Hampshire and bringing it home, but that then encourages prospective pet owners to take their business outside the state. The actual message is anti-local dog breeding, which you’d think might make them more accountable to their customers than those outside the state. I assume that HB1102 would also end the ability of rescue services to bring them here for adoption to good, happy homes.
If you are inclined to appear and express your doubts about this as an exercise of state authority, a public hearing is scheduled on 03/05/2024 01:00 pm LOB 301-303, with a Full Committee Work Session scheduled for 03/06/2024 10:00 am LOB 301-303
