Dunkin’s Law

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 10910 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                               H. R. 10910

   To amend the Animal Welfare Act to provide for the protection of 
  companion animals held or cared for at certain facilities, and for 
                            other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 26, 2026

Mr. Gallagher introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                        Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
   To amend the Animal Welfare Act to provide for the protection of 
  companion animals held or cared for at certain facilities, and for 
                            other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as ``Dunkin's Law''.

SEC. 2. PROTECTING COMPANION ANIMALS HELD OR CARED FOR AT COMMERCIAL 
              PET FACILITIES.

    (a) In General.--Section 2(g) of the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 
2132(g)) is amended by inserting ``sentient being,'' after ``rabbit,''.
    (b) Other Definitions.--Section 2 of the Animal Welfare Act (7 
U.S.C. 2132) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(p)(1) The term `sentient being' means a domesticated mammal 
customarily kept as a household companion, including dogs, cats, and 
rabbits.
    ``(2) Such term does not include livestock, poultry, reptiles, 
amphibians, fish, insects, and arachnids.
    ``(q) The term `boarding facility' means a commercial establishment 
that houses companion animals overnight for compensation.
    ``(r) The term `daycare operation' means a commercial establishment 
that supervises companion animals during daytime hours for 
compensation.
    ``(s) The term `training facility' means a commercial establishment 
that provides behavioral or obedience training services for companion 
animals for compensation.
    ``(t) The term `commercial pet facility' means a facility that 
provides, with respect to sentient beings, one or more of the following 
services:
            ``(1) Boarding.
            ``(2) Daycare.
            ``(3) Training.
            ``(4) Grooming.
            ``(5) Overnight care.
            ``(6) Any other commercial service in which a companion 
        animal is held or cared for in exchange for compensation.''.
    (c) Enforcement.--Section 19 of the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 
2149) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(e)(1) An owner of a sentient being who suffers harm or neglect 
or dies while held or cared for by a commercial pet facility may bring 
an action in the appropriate Federal court and recover the damages 
suffered, court costs, and reasonable attorneys fees and expenses.
    ``(2) An entity described in subparagraph (A) or (B) of section 
28(a)(2) shall be considered a commercial pet facility for purposes of 
applying paragraph (1) in any case in which such entity is convicted 
for the euthanization of a sentient being that is conducted in 
violation of the laws of the State or locality in which such entity is 
located.
    ``(3) In this subsection, the term `damages suffered' means the 
economic and noneconomic damages arising from the harm, neglect, or 
death of a sentient being, including veterinary expenses, replacement 
value, the sentient being's pain and suffering, and the owner's 
emotional distress, as determined by the Federal court in which an 
action under paragraph (1) is brought and in such amounts as may be 
determined by such court.''.
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