PPG News

The following is a summary of major legislation impacting pets in the United States from December 2024 through December 2025.

The legislation is categorized by Federal (nationwide impact) and State (specific state laws with significant precedents).

I. Federal Legislation (United States Congress)

Note: Much of the federal activity in 2025 involved bills being introduced or moving through committee. Enacted federal laws are rare and typically take longer to finalize.

1. The PURR Act of 2025 (H.R. 597)

• Status: Introduced January 2025; currently in committee.
• Summary: This bill seeks to streamline the regulation of pet food by establishing the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) as the sole regulatory authority. It would preempt state and local governments from creating their own pet food marketing or labeling requirements, aiming to create a uniform national standard for dog and cat food labels and ingredients.

2. HELP PETS Act (H.R. 233)

• Status: Introduced January 2025.
• Summary: Standing for “Higher Education Loses Payments for Painful Experiments, Tests and Studies,” this bill prohibits federal funding for any institution of higher education that conducts painful or unnecessary research on dogs and cats.

3. Animal Cruelty Enforcement Act of 2025 (H.R. 1477)

• Status: Introduced February 2025.
• Summary: This legislation establishes a dedicated “Animal Cruelty Crimes Section” within the Department of Justice (DOJ). The goal is to provide specialized resources to enforce federal animal cruelty laws more effectively and prosecute violations that cross state lines.

4. Bill to Outlaw Wounding of Official Working Animals Act of 2025 (H.R. 4638)

• Status: Reported by Judiciary Committee December 2025.
• Summary: This bill focuses on federal working animals (e.g., police K9s). It creates stricter penalties and makes harming a law enforcement animal a deportable offense for non-citizens, classifying it as a crime of moral turpitude.

---

II. Key State Legislation (Enacted & Signed)

State laws often have a more direct, immediate impact on pet owners. The following were signed into law or took effect in 2025.

Florida: The “Pam Rock Act” (HB 593 / SB 572)

• Status: Signed May 2025; Effective July 1, 2025.
• Summary: A significant public safety law prompted by a fatal dog attack on a postal worker.
  • Mandatory Insurance: Owners of dogs classified as “dangerous” must now carry a minimum of $100,000 in liability insurance.
  • Registry & Tracking: Requires a statewide dangerous dog registry and mandatory permanent microchipping for these dogs.
  • Penalties: Increases criminal penalties for owners if their dog causes severe injury or death, including potential prison time.

California: Animal Welfare & Consumer Protection Package

• Status: Signed by Governor Newsom October 2025.
• 1. Cat Declaw Ban (AB 867): Prohibits the declawing of cats for cosmetic or non-medical reasons. (Effective Jan 1, 2026).
• 2. Pet Broker Ban (AB 519): Prohibits third-party “brokers” from selling dogs, cats, or rabbits. This aims to close loopholes used by puppy mills to sell animals online or through middlemen.
• 3. Pet Sales Transparency (AB 506): Requires sellers to disclose the specific origin and health history of a pet before sale and voids contracts that demand non-refundable deposits without this transparency.
• 4. Stalking & Pets (SB 221): Expands the legal definition of stalking to include threats made against a victim’s pet, recognizing that abusers often use pets to intimidate victims.

New York: Expansion of Pet Leasing Ban

• Status: Effective November 21, 2025.
• Summary: New York previously banned “pet leasing” (financing a pet where the finance company retains ownership) in physical stores. This new law expands that ban to online sales, preventing predatory lending practices that treat pets as repossessable property.

Rhode Island: Cat Declaw Ban

• Status: Signed July 2025.
• Summary: Rhode Island joined New York and Maryland in banning the declawing of cats, making it illegal to perform the procedure unless it is medically necessary for the health of the animal.

III. Notable Trends in 2025

• “Joint Custody” for Pets: States like Massachusetts (SB 1206) and others have considered legislation that requires courts to view pets more like children than property during divorce proceedings, allowing for shared custody arrangements.
• Veterinary Competition: In December 2025, the US Department of Justice filed a statement of interest in a lawsuit challenging accreditation standards for vet schools, signaling a federal interest in increasing the supply of veterinarians to lower pet healthcare costs.