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New Jersey Bill Establishing a Working Group on Responsible Animal Breeding

Kelly Crouch, CFA Legislative Information Liaison

New Jersey Assembly Bill 5173 aims to establish a “Working Group on Responsible Animal Breeding” in the Department of Agriculture. Alarmingly, cat breeders are entirely excluded from this important forum, while dog breeders are granted two of the five available seats. The remaining seats will be filled by representatives from an animal rights organization, the New Coalition of Responsible Pet Stores, and the New Jersey Farm Bureau.  All members will be chosen by the Commissioner of Health and the Secretary of Agriculture.

The working group would develop a framework for legislative, administrative, and policy recommendations to uphold ethical breeding practices statewide, eliminate unethical breeding, and devise a plan to implement their recommendations. It is crucial to recognize that these groups often advocate for licensing schemes that can unfairly burden small, in-home hobby breeders, which could stifle our community. Moreover, since cats have distinct needs that differ from those of dogs, relying solely on dog breeders to represent us is inadequate—they simply do not possess the specialized knowledge necessary to advocate for feline interests.

Depending on how the bill progresses, New Jersey cat fanciers will face a pivotal choice. Following an adage, we can demand a seat at the table or risk being on the menu. If fanciers successfully advocate for an amendment giving us a seat at the table, it is imperative that we occupy it. Failing to do so risks our interests and the future of responsible cat breeding.

If you are passionate about representing the cat breeding community and want to step up if a seat becomes available, please get in touch with the CFA Legislative Group (details below) and reach out to your regional director, Doreann Nasin, at silverpurkat@prodigy.net

You are our eyes and ears! Is detrimental legislation happening in your area? Please let us know. Contact the CFA Legislative Group at legislation@cfa.org

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