A slew of bills aim to improve animal welfare in Massachusetts. Here's what to know

BOSTON — The State House literally went to the dogs Tuesday.

A service dog in training, Odin, was joined by two cuties, Luna and Bella, who will be available for adoption at the MSPCA Animal Care and Adoption Center in Boston. Their presence delighted the dozens of volunteers who spoke with legislators and their staffs and advocated for specific bills on Animal Advocacy Day.

Kara Holmquist, director of advocacy at the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, looks forward to the day every year.

“Volunteers learn how powerful and important their voices are,” she said, adding that legislators who know her can predict her approach. “They need to hear from their constituents about their concerns.”

Minority Leader Sen. Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester, reminded the volunteers that Massachusetts has a legacy of promoting animal welfare.

“We have the most comprehensive laws in the country,” Tarr said, adding that such laws date back to the 1800s and should be modernized, updated and strengthened.

The proposals, still under consideration in joint committees, would initiate a systemic review of existing statutes and recommend changes where needed. One would create a misdemeanor animal cruelty statute, allowing a creative way to address and adjudicate cases that do not rise to the level of felonies. Another measure would increase the penalties and fees for repeat offenders.

The slate of bills cover some day-to-day issues concerning animals. Others focus on preventing animal cruelty and others on protecting animals in the wild.

Many of the key measures promoted by volunteers and already heard in joint committees are now in either the House or the Senate Ways and Means Committee for final recommendations and possible action. These include:

• Pets in housing bill , sponsored by former Sen. Anne Gobi, D-Spencer, and Rep. Sue Montano, D-Boston, would prevent landlords and insurance companies from discriminating against the owners of specific breeds, sizes or perceived temperaments of dogs in regard to rental properties or homeowner’s or renter’s insurance.
• DCF and dog breed bill , sponsored by Sen. Adam Gomez, D-Springfield, and Rep. Jack Patrick Lewis, D-Framingham, would bar the Department of Children and Families state child welfare agency from factoring in the size and breed of a dog when weighing adoption and fostering applications. The bill would also eliminate time limits pertaining to suspicions of animal cruelty or abuse among employees and contractors.
• Ollie’s Law , sponsored by Sen. Mark Montigny, D-Dartmouth, and Rep. Brian Ashe, D-Longmeadow, would require the state to regulate doggie-daycare centers and boarding kennels to ensure the safety of the animals left in their care. The state would be required to establish staff-to-dog ratios, group sizes and supervision at the centers. The bill is in response to incidents in which animals entrusted to the care of facilities were abused, neglected or attacked by other animals.
• Circus bill , sponsored by Sens. Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester, and Adam Gomez, D-Springfield, and Reps. Carole Fiola, D-Fall River, and Bradley Jones, R-North Reading, would prohibit the use of primates, big cats, bears, elephants and giraffes in circuses and traveling animal shows.
• Puppy-mill-to-pet store pipeline bill , sponsored by Sen. Patrick O’Connor, R-Weymouth, and Rep. Natalie Higgins, D-Leominster, would close the pipeline between breeding facilities and pet stores by barring the sale of puppies, kittens and rabbits in Massachusetts pet stores and only allowing the sale of rescued animals from legitimate shelters and organizations.
• Declaw bill , sponsored by Montigny, would ban the declawing of cats except in rare cases if it is deemed as therapeutic for the animal’s well-being.
• Ivory and rhinoceros horn bill , sponsored by Sen. Jason Lewis, D-Winchester, would restrict the trade of elephant ivory and rhino horn within Massachusetts and across borders with other states. While federal regulations prohibit international trade in the material, it does not regulate trade within the United States.
• Rodenticides bill , sponsored by Sen. Paul Feeney, D-Foxborough, and Rep. Jim Hawkins, D-Attleboro, would require communities using second-generation anti-coagulant rodenticides to track their use more efficiently. The bill also favors the use of integrated pest management systems including electrified box traps, dry ice or carbon monoxide.

Legislators are still pondering two bills that would expand protections for animals and an omnibus bill that would modernize, reinforce and streamline existing animal protections.

One bill would bar people convicted of animal cruelty from owning another animal; another would extend protections afforded to dogs to other domesticated creatures.

The omnibus bill would give law enforcement and the judiciary added tools when dealing with suspected animal abuse.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: A slew of bills aim to improve animal welfare in Massachusetts. Here's what to know