York County News

The Senate of Pennsylvania has approved legislation sponsored by Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-York) aimed at updating the state’s dog law. The bill extends license fee exemptions to service dogs integral to first responders and addresses challenges faced by dog boarding kennels.

"By making these significant revisions to the state’s dog law, we can help our first responders and our kennel owners," Phillips-Hill stated. "I am grateful for the feedback during the last several months about how we can move forward as a state to ensure that proper protections are in place to protect dogs, while cutting down on some of the bureaucratic red tape that was adversely impacting boarding kennels."

Senate Bill 82 emphasizes the contributions of service dogs in various public safety roles, including enhancing sensory capabilities and supporting emergency response teams. Under this legislation, license fee exemptions would be extended to service dogs working for fire departments, sheriff’s offices, and rescue services. Currently, only municipal and state police departments receive such exemptions.

Service dogs play a critical role in detecting threats, aiding in search and rescue missions, and providing support during medical emergencies. The exemption from licensing fees aims to reduce financial barriers for agencies relying on these highly trained animals.

Additionally, the measure provides relief for dog kennel owners operating along the state border who board dogs from out-of-state residents.

The bill now awaits the governor's signature.