An act relating to miscellaneous animal welfare procedures

The 35-dog ownership limit in section 3581(a)(2) was deleted entirely. The House version capped the number of dogs a person could license at 35 (excluding puppies under four months and spayed/neutered dogs). This cap no longer exists in the enacted law.

Section 3813a, which established a certified rabies vaccinator program allowing humane officers to be trained and certified to administer rabies vaccines (with liability immunity and a prohibition on compensation), was removed from the enacted version.

Section 3202(e) was simplified from a detailed rulemaking mandate requiring specific rules for outdoor cat vaccination/spay-neuter/licensing and a certified rabies vaccinator program with four enumerated standards, down to a single general statement that the Division may adopt rules to implement the chapter.

Section 3903(b) no longer requires animal shelters and rescue organizations to report collected intake information (transferor name/address, vaccination history, temperament, health) to the Director of Animal Welfare. They must still collect the information but are no longer required to report it.

Section 3915(b), which prohibited importing animals for sale, resale, exchange, or donation by a shelter or rescue organization in another state unless that organization was licensed by its originating state, was removed from the enacted version.

The advertising disclosure requirements in section 3917 were significantly narrowed. The House version applied to all ads for adoption or sale and required four disclosures (current location, municipality/state of origin, rescue/shelter license number, and advertiser license number). The enacted version applies only to adoption ads and requires only two disclosures (current location and advertiser license number).

The registration requirement in section 3202(f) was changed: 'dog breeders' were removed from the list of entities required to register, 'pet dealers' were added, and the catch-all was narrowed from 'any other person importing domestic pets' to 'any person importing one or more domestic pets.'

Section 32 V.S.A. 5862g, which established a voluntary checkoff on individual income tax returns allowing taxpayers to direct funds from their refund to the Animal Welfare Fund, was removed from the enacted version. However, section 3203(b)(4) still references revenue from this checkoff, creating an apparent inconsistency.

New section 3552 allows animal shelters or rescue organizations, under contract with a municipality, to sexually sterilize stray cats with no known owner not sooner than one day after impound.

New subsection 3202(f) requires animal shelters, rescue organizations, dog breeders, and others importing domestic pets into Vermont for adoption, sale, transfer, or breeding to register with the Division of Animal Welfare. First violation triggers a warning; second or subsequent violations trigger a fine and cease and desist order. Individuals importing a pet for personal use are exempt.

Advertising section 3917 is expanded: advertisements now cover domestic pets for adoption OR sale (not just adoption), must include the municipality and state where the pet was located when the ad was placed, and must include both a rescue/shelter license number and an advertiser license number. The social media carve-out is broadened to cover anyone transferring or offering to transfer domestic pets in Vermont.

Import health certificate requirements in section 3915 add a third condition: wolf-hybrids over four months of age must be sexually sterilized. The requirement that importing shelters or rescue organizations be licensed by the originating state is removed.

The enacted version's mandate for the Division to adopt rules requiring outdoor cats to be vaccinated for rabies, spayed or neutered, and licensed (with a definition of outdoor cats) is not present in the passed version.

New report section requires the Director of Animal Welfare to report to legislative committees by December 15, 2026 on next steps for creating a comprehensive animal welfare program in Vermont.

Throughout the bill, 'spaying and neutering' is replaced with 'sexual sterilization' in sections dealing with the low-income sterilization program (sections 3814-3816), dog licensing requirements, and wolf-hybrid requirements.

The dog ownership cap in section 3581(a)(2) changes from '35 dogs licensed under this section' to simply '35 dogs,' removing the licensing qualifier and potentially making the cap apply more broadly.

The enacted version grants the Director of Animal Welfare authority to inspect pet dealers, animal shelters, rescue organizations, and kennels, plus authority to issue notices of violation, seek court injunctions, suspend or revoke licenses, and impose penalties. These enforcement powers are absent from the passed version.

The Animal Welfare Fund composition differs: the enacted version lists four revenue sources (67% surcharge, appropriations, donations/gifts, checkoff), while one iteration of the passed version lists three sources (67% surcharge, transfers, donations/grants/gifts) and omits the checkoff. Another iteration adds 'grants' to the donation category.

The certified rabies vaccinator program is restructured: in the enacted version it is a standalone statutory section (3813a), while in the passed version it is folded into the rulemaking authority of section 3202(e)(2) with more detailed standards including collaboration with the Vermont Veterinary Medical Association and authorization for veterinarians to train shelter staff.

Section 3202(e)(2) now requires the Division of Animal Welfare to adopt rules requiring outdoor cats to be vaccinated for rabies, spayed or neutered, and licensed, including a definition of outdoor cats and an exemption for indoor cats. This is a new regulatory mandate not present in the unofficial version.

Section 3202(e)(2) was restructured: the detailed standards for the certified rabies vaccinator program (collaboration with VVMA, training veterinary staff, training humane officers, specific training content) were removed from this section and replaced with a reference to section 3814, which contains the program details separately.

Section 3915(a) no longer requires that imported wolf-hybrids over four months of age be sexually sterilized. The unofficial version had this as a third condition on the health certificate for import; it is absent from the official version.

Section 3581(d)(2) now limits the wolf-hybrid spay/neuter certificate requirement to animals 'six months of age or older' (previously no age limit) and changes the language from 'sexually sterilized' to 'spayed or neutered.'

Section 3917 (advertising) changed from covering 'domestic pets for adoption or sale' to 'animals for adoption,' removing the advertising requirements for sales. It also removed the requirement to disclose the municipality and state where the pet was located when the ad was placed, and simplified the license number disclosure to a single item.

Section 3917(b) changed the social media applicability from advertisers 'transferring or offering to transfer domestic pets in the State of Vermont' to those 'subject to section 3915 of this title for importing animals into Vermont,' narrowing and clarifying which out-of-state advertisers are covered.

The Vermont Animal Welfare Fund checkoff (32 V.S.A. section 5862g) was entirely removed from the bill, eliminating the mechanism that would have allowed taxpayers to designate a portion of their state tax refund to the Animal Welfare Fund.

The Animal Welfare Fund's revenue sources were changed: the checkoff revenue was removed, 'appropriations' was changed to 'appropriations transfers,' and 'grants' was added alongside donations and gifts.

The spay/neuter program (section 3815) was changed from a direct agency implementation to one that 'may implement the program through an agreement with a qualified organization,' and a new provision allows for owner co-payments to be deducted from veterinarian reimbursements.

The requirement for rules mandating that outdoor cats be vaccinated for rabies, spayed or neutered, and licensed (including a definition of outdoor cats) was removed from the Division's rule-making authority in section 3202(e)(2).

The advertising disclosure requirements (section 3917) were expanded: they now cover advertisements for adoption OR sale (previously only adoption), require disclosure of the municipality and state where the pet was located when the ad was placed, and separately require both a rescue/shelter license number and a general license number.

A new section 3814 adds legislative findings stating that the supply of dogs, cats, and wolf-hybrids in Vermont is a major concern, resources are insufficient, many animals are euthanized or become victims of accidents/starvation/disease, and low-income owners have difficulty affording sterilization services.

A new section 3552 allows animal shelters or rescue organizations operating under a municipal contract to sexually sterilize stray cats with no known owner not sooner than one day after impound.

A new section 15 requires the Director of Animal Welfare to report to legislative committees by December 15, 2026 on next steps for creating a comprehensive animal welfare program in Vermont, after consulting with stakeholders and registrants.

The health certificate requirements for importing animals (section 3915) were changed: the requirement that importing shelters or rescue organizations be licensed by the originating state was removed, and a new requirement was added that wolf-hybrids over four months old must have been sexually sterilized.

The Director's broad inspection authority over pet dealers, animal shelters, rescue organizations, and kennels (section 3202(f)) was replaced with a registration system requiring shelters, rescue organizations, dog breeders, and importers of domestic pets to register with the Division, with enforcement through warnings for first violations and fines plus cease-and-desist orders for subsequent violations.

Section 3202(g), which gave the Director the same authority as the Secretary and municipal legislative bodies to issue notices of violation, seek injunctions, suspend licenses, impose penalties, and revoke or suspend licenses, was removed entirely.

Throughout the bill, the term 'spayed or neutered' was replaced with 'sexually sterilized' in multiple provisions, broadening the language to encompass all forms of sexual sterilization rather than just the two most common procedures.