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Committee passes SB339 to exempt pet sales from working-animal protection language after testimony from breeders
Summary
SB339, a cleanup to the Working Animal Protection Act that clarifies municipalities may regulate sales of dogs and cats, passed the committee after opponents warned the changes would undermine protections and sponsors said the bill simply exempts pet sales from the working-animal provisions.
Sen. Ronald Caldwell (Dist. 10) presented SB339 as a technical cleanup to clarify that the Working Animal Protection Act does not prevent municipalities from regulating the sale of dogs and cats. Caldwell said the earlier law was intended to prevent municipal bans on working‑animal enterprises (like carriage rides or ranching activities), not to prevent local regulation of pet sales.
Sandy Nance, president of the Arkansas Alliance of K‑9 Professionals, opposed the change and testified the proposed language would 'gut' the Working Animal Protection Act and reopen municipalities to bans that could harm breeders, shelters and related businesses. She warned that shelters and adoption programs might be caught by broad language and urged the committee to vote no.
Caldwell responded that municipal ordinances must conform to state law and constitutional limits and that the bill aims to keep the working‑animal protections while allowing local rules on pet sales. After debate, the committee voted to pass SB339.
