It's called the companion Animal Board Bill. Sponsored by Rep. Mike Freiberg (D, Golden Valley), the bill aims to create a 13-member board to “protect and promote the welfare, social well-being, and physical and mental health of companion efforts.”
That would include primary authority to regulate companion animals. Companion animal license plates would also be established.
“This is needed because right now all laws and legislature is going through the Board of Animal Health, which is a great board and very necessary,” says Secondhand Hounds Executive Director Rachel Mairose.
She says the current animal board deals primarily with farm and issues and not pets and that protections are needed.
“Right now, there's no regulation of rescue groups in Minnesota, which is kind of worrisome,” Mairose says. “A lot of the other states do have groups that are regulating and making sure that rescue groups are abiding by certain laws, making sure that their animals are healthy and happy.”
Some Republicans have opposed the bill saying it is “an overreach”, and the bill’s scope needs to be narrowed.
The bill’s next stop is the House Agriculture Finance and Policy Committee before it would move to the House for a vote.
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