HI HB185

Establishes a new dog breeder licensing requirement administered by the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, applicable to persons selling 25+ dog offspring annually, owning 20+ intact breeding females, or harboring 30+ intact breeding dogs.

Dog breeders must obtain a license with an annual fee set by the director, submit to unannounced inspections, and comply with rules adopted by the director; licenses are non-transferable.

Violators operating as unlicensed dog breeders face civil penalties up to $1,000 per day, criminal misdemeanor charges, and potential fines of $2,000 per dog for prohibited acts including improper care and housing violations.

Strengthens animal cruelty penalties by making second-degree cruelty a class C felony when involving ten or more animals or committed in presence of a minor under 14 years old.

Expands animal abandonment prohibitions to cover all animals (not just pets/equines), increases penalties from petty misdemeanor to misdemeanor when abandonment causes death or injury, and eliminates defense that animal was left at a shelter without care arrangements.