The following is a summary of Act 151 written by the PA Department of Agriculture and sent to all Legislators & other interested parties.

PA Department of Agriculture

Commonly Asked Questions Regarding Act 151
Dog Law Reform

  1. What are the main provisions of Act 151? Act 151 amends the dog law to provide greater accessibility for dog owners to renew their licenses by requiring agents to make licenses available on a year round basis, authorizing the Secretary of Agriculture to appoint additional agents as needed, and lowering the age requirements for dog licensure from six months to three months, thus allowing a dog owner to obtain both a license and the required rabies vaccination at the same time.
    This measure further establishes a new fee structure for dog and kennel licenses. License fees are set statutorily and have not been raised in over thirteen years. The basic dog license fee is raised from $4.50 to $7.00; however, if the canine is spayed or neutered, the license fee is $5.00. Senior citizens and persons with disabilities will pay $5.00 for a license and $3.00 if the animal is spayed or neutered. Lifetime licenses have been increased to $50.00 or $30.00 for a spayed or neutered dog. Senior citizens and persons with disabilities can purchase a lifetime license for $30.00 or $20.00 for a spayed or neutered dog.
    Consistent with the administration's policies to grant local governments the opportunity to provide services outside the core functions of state government, Act 151 also contains language to grant counties, third class cities and humane societies the option to perform various functions of dog law enforcement.
  2. When will the new dog license fees go into effect? Act 151 provides that the dog license fee increase became effective immediately upon the governor's signature, December 11, 1996 at 1:15pm. Kennel fee increases become effective 60 days from the date of enactment. Prior to December 11 1996, the previous fee structure remained in effect.
  3. Are third class cities exempt from the provisions of the new dog law? No, third class cities remain under the provisions of the dog law unless city officials notify the Secretary of Agriculture in writing that the city has adopted its own dog licensing and enforcement ordinance and intends to assume responsibility for enforcement of that ordinance. This responsibility, however, cannot begin until January 1 of a particular year.
  4. Will certain breeds of canines be banned? Upon opting to implement a dog law enforcement program, third class cities become authorized to establish their own dog law ordinances; however, they cannot impose breed specific prohibitions due to Section 507-A (c) of the Dog Law.
  5. Will Act 151 afford greater protection to citizens from dangerous dogs? Yes, Act 151 strengthens the current dangerous dog provisions by clarifying that harboring a dangerous dog is a summary criminal offense and that a dog may be declared a "dangerous dog" as a result of a single attack. In addition, Act 151 requires a dangerous dog to be confined in a proper enclosure from the time the charge is filed through the resolution of any appeal and requires the reporting of incidents in which dogs attack humans.
PA Department of Agriculture
Contact: 787-4626
Deputy Secretary for Regulatory Programs
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