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Committee weighs new 'pet vendor foster home' definition to address recordkeeping and disease traceability
Summary
Lawmakers debated an amendment to SB475 that would define a "pet vendor foster home" tied to licensed pet vendors and add protections for pregnant and lactating animals; the department testified that better statutory authority and reporting are needed after recent disease and capacity problems at rescues.
The Environment and Agriculture Committee spent its work session debating an amendment to SB475 that would create a statutory definition for a "pet vendor foster home," tying foster placements to vendors licensed under RSA 437 and adding language to cover pregnant and lactating animals.
Supporters said the narrow definition clarifies that only homes associated with licensed pet vendors would be covered and would avoid subjecting private, informal fosters to routine state inspections. "This just cleans it all up," said Kelly, the amendment sponsor, arguing the change would align statute with existing vendor licensing and preserve privacy for private households.
The department's commissioner, Audrey Osbor, told the committee the change responds to…
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