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Living with Animals and Human Service Agencies

H. 4911: An Act relative to animal welfare and reporting of animal cruelty, abuse or neglect

MSPCA Position: Support
Sponsor: Senator Adam Gomez and Representative Jack Patrick Lewis
Status: Reported favorably and referred to House Committee on Ways and Means. Passed the House on July 25, 2024. Passed the Senate on September 26, 2024. Signed into law October 9, 2024.


This law prevents the Department of Child and Family Services (DCF) from using breed as factor to determine whether a family can adopt or foster children. Currently, no child under age 12 can be placed in a home where Rottweiler, Pit Bull or German Shepherd dog, or a dog which mixes at least 2 of these 3 breeds, is maintained on the premises.

At the recommendation of PAWS II commission on animal cruelty reporting, this bill will also remove timing restrictions in the statutes that allow employees and contractors of human services agencies to report suspected animal cruelty. Currently, the timeframe for this reporting has been interpreted to apply only to the 10-day investigation period. This bill will ensure that suspected animal cruelty can be reported at any time the employee or contractor suspects it.

Dogs should be judged as the individuals they are — not based on outdated and long-ago-disproven stereotypes. Policies that target specific dog owners based on the size, weight, or perceived breed of their pet discriminate against those who properly train and socialize their dogs. Families are broken or kept apart due to these types of policies.

In 2012, the legislature recognized the irrelevance of dog breed in assessing the risk posed by dogs by passing a comprehensive law that strengthened the state’s dangerous dog law while prohibiting municipalities from discriminating against dogs based on breed because no such legislation has ever proven effective at reducing dog bites.

There are many reasons why there is no accurate data on the number of aggressive incidents involving a specific breed. Studies show that there is often a significant discrepancy between visual assessment of breed, and actual genetic determination of the dog’s breed — even when the visual assessment is conducted by individuals who have substantial experience working with dogs. One study that asked experienced shelter staff to make a visual identification and then compared their assessment to a DNA test found that only ¼ had actually identified the “predominant ‘dog breed’”. Experts also agree that the best predictor of a dog’s behavior comes from an evaluation of individual adult dogs — not selection based on breed.

Co-Sponsors

State Senators:

Name District/Address
Adam Gomez Hampden
Patrick M. O’Connor First Plymouth and Norfolk
Michael O. Moore Second Worcester
Lydia Edwards Third Suffolk

State Representatives:

Name District/Address
Jack Patrick Lewis 7th Middlesex
Natalie M. Higgins 4th Worcester
Lindsay N. Sabadosa 1st Hampshire
Vanna Howard 17th Middlesex
Samantha Montaño 15th Suffolk
Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr. 12th Hampden
David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf 17th Worcester
Thomas M. Stanley 9th Middlesex
William C. Galvin 6th Norfolk
Michelle M. DuBois 10th Plymouth
Edward R. Philips 8th Norfolk
John Barrett, III 1st Berkshire
James K. Hawkins 2nd Bristol
Tram T. Nguyen 18th Essex
Bruce J. Ayers 1st Norfolk
Mike Connolly 26th Middlesex
James C. Arena-DeRosa 8th Middlesex