Durbin Introduces Puppy Protection Act

April 29, 2026 Durbin Introduces Puppy Protection Act WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today introduced the Puppy Protection Act , legislation to create stronger standards for veterinary care, housing, and breeding for dogs. The Puppy Protection Act would ensure that dogs within breeders’ care have suitable and safe enclosures, access to outdoor areas, and regularly interact with other dogs and humans. “In many American households, dogs are a part of the family. And having grown up with a puppy of my own, I understand the joy dogs can bring. Because we care for our pets so much, we want a commitment from breeders to raise their dogs in humane conditions before they find their forever home,” Durbin said. “My Puppy Protection Act would institute the proper oversight and inspections over breeding facilities to ensure that all dogs are well-cared for and live a healthy life.” “For many of us, dogs are a treasured part of our families. No family should unknowingly bring home a puppy raised in cruel, overcrowded and unhealthy conditions. By strengthening federal standards and enforcement, the Puppy Protection Act helps ensure that every dog is treated with basic dignity and care,” said Sara Amundson, President of Humane World Action Fund. “We commend the ongoing leadership Senator Durbin has provided to end the worst abuses and protect the dogs we welcome into our homes as beloved members of our families.” Specifically, the bill would do the following: Caging and space requirements: Expand enclosure requirements to allow dogs to stand on their hind legs without touching the top of their enclosure and increase the number of square feet of their enclosure based on the dog’s size. Enclosures may not be stacked on top of one another. Exercise: Offer dogs over the age of 12 weeks unrestricted access from their primary enclosures to a ground-level, enclosed outdoor exercise area. Socialization : Set a 30 minute requirement per day for dogs to socialize with humans and compatible dogs outside of the time spent in veterinary care. Breeding: Require a screening by a veterinarian prior to each attempt to breed and prohibit breeding of two litters in any 18-month period or more than six litters in a dog’s lifetime. Breeders must also find a humane placement for retired breeding dogs, such as with adoptive families or rescue organizations. U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Chris Coons (D-DE), Mark Warner (D-VA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) are cosponsors of the legislation. In 2013, Durbin introduced the Puppy Uniform Protection and Safety Act ( PUPS Act ) to require breeders that sell more than 50 dogs annually to be licensed and to undergo inspections to ensure their dogs are receiving proper care. In 2014, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) implemented a rule based on Durbin’s PUPS Act to close a loophole in the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) that allowed domestic puppy mills to sell puppies on the internet without proper regulation or inspections. In 2022, Durbin wrote to then-U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack urging him to update standards for commercial breeding facilities regulated under AWA and implement stronger standards for veterinary care, housing, and breeding of dogs as suggested in the Puppy Protection Act . -30- Print Email Share Tweet