Bill to create study committee on private animal boarding facilities draws testimony from vets, owners and advocates

Senate Bill 50, introduced on behalf of Sen. Ruth Ward, would establish a committee to study regulation of private animal boarding facilities. Grant Bossi, deputy chief of staff with the New Hampshire Senate, told the House Environment & Agriculture Committee the bill grew from a constituent complaint in which a dog left with a boarding facility went missing and was never recovered.

Patricia (Trish) Morris, an attorney who practices animal law and chairs the governor's commission on humane treatment of animals, testified in support and described the bill as a fact‑finding mission: "what we're really looking at is to determine if we need to regulate these private animal facilities and if we do, at what level and by whom," she said. Morris provided statistics during testimony: she said the average New Hampshire household spent $4,500 on each pet last year, that 52% of households own pets, and that she has handled about 37 animal‑injury or death matters (animals) in the last five years that arose from kennel or daycare settings.

Several pet owners described direct experiences. Chris Shemit, a veteran, said he dropped his dog off for surgery‑related care and later discovered the dog had died while in the sitter's care: "I dropped my dog off... and he was dead," Shemit testified, saying he intends to seek a necropsy and pursue legal remedies. Marcus Gilbert told the committee his dog Cash has been missing "now for 596 days due to the gross negligence of a dog kennel," and described a multiday search and subsequent outreach that surfaced other community complaints about the same facility. Ross Norwood, a longtime licensed pet vendor and former rescue operator who conducts boarding, told the committee that licensure for rescues requires annual surprise inspections and recordkeeping, and that no comparable mandatory oversight exists for private boarding facilities in New Hampshire.

Witnesses and committee members discussed possible regulatory responses the study committee could explore: state licensing or mandatory reporting for boarding facilities above a size threshold; requiring business‑level insurance; a public registry of licensed facilities; minimum staffing or on‑site supervision requirements; and record and camera‑keeping to support investigations when incidents occur. Lawyers and industry witnesses emphasized balancing consumer protections, animal welfare and the burdens of new regulation on small home‑based providers.

The bill's sponsor asked the committee to solicit testimony from veterinarians, rescue organizations, town animal control officers and industry stakeholders so the study could identify gaps and recommend an appropriate level of oversight. Committee members heard multiple personal accounts of injury, death or disappearance and indicated support for a study committee. The hearing closed after multiple witnesses testified in favor and the committee said it would convene a study if the legislature authorizes SB 50.

Ending: The committee closed the hearing and scheduled time for executive consideration of bills; members said they expect additional testimony and materials to inform next steps.