A bill addressing the safety of pets at Massachusetts kennels was signed into law Thursday.
Until now, the Bay State had no oversight for puppy day care and boarding facilities. The only requirement for anyone with more than four dogs was to obtain a kennel license.
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Gov. Maura Healey signed the legislation known as Ollie's Law, which requires the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources to establish rules and regulations for pet boarding facilities.
"How we treat animals says something about who we are as a people and who we are as a community," Healey said Thursday. "This is about protecting our four-legged friends out there, and until the signing of this law, we did not have that kind of regulation and protection in place. Now we do."
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The law honors Ollie, a 7-month-old labradoodle fatally injured in a fight. Ollie's owner, Amy Baxter, never got answers from the facility about what happened.
"I'm so incredibly honored that Ollie is able to leave a legacy of protecting and helping other dogs," Baxter said in a statement. "Nothing will mitigate all of his pain and suffering, but knowing that he is being memorialized in this way is a bit of a silver lining."
Other recent incidents have also put the need for regulations in the spotlight.
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In 2022, April Bernhardt of Rowley was charged with 40 counts of animal cruelty when police found 37 dogs living in cramped conditions in a trailer.
And last year, a former Massachusetts firefighter was put on probation after allegedly abusing animals.
"We now have rights for pet owners and protections for them when they bring their dog, when we bring our dogs, to boarding facilities and kennels," said Jeremy Cohen, an attorney for Baxter.
"I'm a full kennel, and I believe in this law," said Lisa Cutting, who owns Ocean View Kennel in Revere. "I think that it should be tougher regulations for kenneling, day care, dog walking."
