This session, the legislature passed several priorities strengthening protections for animals and pet owners. Senator Brownsberger is a longtime supporter of animal protection legislation and he looks forward to continued work on this in the next legislative session.
This post summarizes some particularly notable legislation that has been passed by either chamber or signed into law.
The following have been signed into law:
An Act regulating the use of elephants, big cats, primates, giraffes and bears in traveling exhibits and shows (2024 Mass. Acts ch. 168)
This new law prohibits traveling acts like circuses from using exotic animals like elephants, lions, primates, and others in performances. Both the process of keeping, training, and transporting these animals as well as their use in performances can cause them serious physical and psychological harm. Their use in entertainment also helps sustain an exploitive and often illegal market for captured exotic animals. Recognition of these issues and resulting municipal bans have already led some major traveling act venues like the Topsfield Fair and the Big “E” to end the practice. This law solidifies that prohibition for the entire Commonwealth. Exceptions include animals that already live at a zoo; animals used for filming movies; and non-exotic animals like horses, pigs, chickens and rabbits.
An Act to increase kennel safety, AKA Ollie’s Law (2024 Mass Acts ch. 213)
This law is named in honor of a labradoodle puppy who sadly suffered serious physical abuse from staff during a stay at a kennel. While legal action was brought against the individual abuser, Ollie’s case also brought attention to the lack of regulation of Kennels in the Commonwealth. This new law expands the authority of the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) to impose safety regulations and reporting and inspection requirements to help prevent abuse, neglect, and other safety concerns.
An Act promoting animal welfare and further regulating the reporting of animal use, abuse, or neglect (2024 Mass. Acts ch. 222)
This new law ensures that the Department of Children and Families (DCF) may not deny a family or individual’s foster application based on the breed of dog they keep as a pet. Historically, the presence of certain dog breeds (e.g., Pit Bulls and Rottweilers) could be considered by DCF to be a safety risk to a child. If a household is deemed unsafe, a child cannot be placed there. However, considerable scientific research suggests that a dog’s breed is not a strong predictor of dangerous behavior. Massachusetts law now clarifies that DCF shall consider factors like a dog’s medical history and behavioral record regardless of its breed.
Additionally, the Act removes timeframe requirements for full time and contract employees of Commonwealth human services agencies to report suspected animal abuse.
An Act to prevent abuse and exploitation (2024 Mass. Acts ch. 118)
A major legislative item of this session, this law implements new protections for victims of abuse in a number of contexts. Among these new protections is a provision expanding the definition of coercive control to include committing or threatening acts of cruelty or abuse against animals connected to a family or household member. Many victims of abuse have reported that their abusers threatened, injured, maimed, or killed an animal companion as a form of revenge or psychological control. Including these acts in the definition of coercive control serves to help human victims hold their abusers accountable for types of serious harm not previously covered in the law, as well as protect the rights and welfare of animal victims.
In addition, the following bill has been passed once by the Senate but has not yet gained final approval in the legislature:
An Act prohibiting inhumane feline declawing (S. 2552)
This legislation would prohibit procedures like declawing and tendonectomy from being performed on cats without a determination of medical necessity by a licensed veterinarian. These procedures are commonly performed for human convenience – such as protecting furniture from clawing – rather than any medical need of the animal. However, declawing and tendonectomy can unnecessarily jeopardize a cat’s health by increasing the risk of a serious infection, chronic paw and back pain, and even losing the ability to walk.
For more information, please reference the following press releases:
Governor Healey Signs Bill Protecting Animal Welfare | Mass.gov
Governor Healey Signs Ollie’s Law to Improve Safety for Pets Staying at Kennels | Mass.gov
Senate Press Room; Feline Declawing Legislation
Senate Press Room; Dog Breeds Legislation
Isaac Gibbons is Senator Brownsberger’s Legislative and Policy Analyst
It is wrong and cruel to have excluded “non exotic animals” from the traveling exhibits and shows act. Why is it ok to abuse these animals that are already abused and mistreated on a massive scale in every possible way by “humanity “? They should have at least been granted this tiny reprieve.
Good point, Tal. Traveling shows cause great stress on all animals that are involved and you are correct that their keepers and handlers cannot be trusted to treat them well.
Thank you for sharing some very good news in the battle to protect animals from cruel, inhumane and unethical treatment and thank you for your personal efforts to bring these bills forward. What we do or allow to be done to animals is a reflection of our moral values, and cruelty or turning an eye to cruelty, purposefully or simply from thoughtlessness and stupidity, is an indictment of us all.
Thank you for this good news, Senator. I am a dog foster mom and we just all had to update our contracts to suit the new laws. I appreciate your work on behalf our better halves.
Thank you Senator Brownsberger.
Well-done.
Thank you.