Governor Gavin Newsom has signed legislation on the unregulated dog training industry. The law is the first ever to regulate dog trainers and require them to disclose any criminal convictions or civil judgments related to their business.
AB 1901, also known as the Dog Trainer Sufficiency Act, states:
Existing law establishes procedures, as administered by the State Department of Public Health, for the care and maintenance of pets boarded at a pet boarding facility, including, but not limited to, sanitation, provision of enrichment for the pet, health of the pet, and safety. Existing law similarly regulates the sale of dogs by pet breeders.
This bill would require a dog trainer, as defined, to disclose in writing to a purchaser of dog training services at the time of purchase, any civil judgments related to the dog trainer’s services, and any criminal animal cruelty convictions against the dog trainer or an employee, as specified. The bill would require the dog trainer and the purchaser to sign the written disclosure. The bill would expressly authorize a person to bring a civil action for damages arising from a violation of the requirements related to that written disclosure.
When the bill was first introduced last March by Assemblyman Adrin Nazarin of Hollywood Hills/Toluca Lake, the American Kennel Club (AKC), among others, sought to fight the legislation, saying it was a drastic overreach, and that the bill appeared “to make the inaccurate assumption that all trainings involve overnight boarding and take place in designated training facilities,” and “would regulate all dog trainers in the state as boarding kennels – regardless of the type of training class or the length of the class.”
However, after hearing the opposition from the AKC and dog trainers across the state, (Assemblyman Nazarin’s bill originally sought to regulate all trainers as boarding facilities and included 13 pages of new requirements), AB 1901, in its final approved form, was significantly amended to now simply require disclosure of a trainer’s name and address, as well as any civil judgements related to the dog trainer’s services, and any animal cruelty convictions.
The amendments also state that a person may bring a civil action for a violation of this section. The bill no longer requires a trainer to disclose their training philosophy, whether or not they are certified, or their training goals and plan.
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