Advisory Committee Information
The MDAR Commissioner is responsible for appointing the advisory committee that will assist the Department in developing these regulations. Among the members of the committee are an owner of a licensed boarding or training kennel with a capacity of less than 50 dogs; an owner of a licensed boarding or training kennel with a capacity of more than 50 dogs; two animal control officers; a licensing authority representative; a veterinarian; an interested member of the public; a dog owner that uses the service of a licensed boarding or training kennel; a certified animal behaviorist; a person with five years of experience in training people about dog behavior; and a representative from a licensed shelter or rescue. Because each of you are qualified to serve on the committee and may work with others who meet the descriptions above, we are asking for your recommendations for members of the advisory committee.
Ollie's Law Timeline
| Action | Date |
|---|---|
| Bill signed | September 20, 2024 |
| Law takes effect | December 19, 2024 |
| Committee formed | March 19, 2025 COMPLETED |
| Municipalities must send kennel list to MDAR by | June 1, 2025 237 Municipalities Complied, 1,370 licensed kennels reported. |
| MDAR reports to legislature | July1, 2025 COMPLETED 6.27.25 Legislative Report-MDAR |
| Regulations completed by | June 2026 |
| Committee sunsets | December 31, 2026 |
Ollie's Law Information for Public
Under state laws, any premises in Massachusetts that fits the definitions below must obtain a kennel license to house dogs. To get a kennel license, individuals or organizations must contact their local licensing authority, usually the city or town clerk. Before a license can be issued or renewed, the kennel must pass an inspection by the local animal control officer. For more details, visit your local animal control webpage.
Every dog (6 months or older) kept at a licensed kennel in MA, unless owned by the kennel license holder, must have its own municipal dog license. Owners can apply for individual dog licenses through the local city or town clerk.
Please check your municipal bylaws, since they may have additional requirements or restrictions for kennels. Bylaws can be stricter than state law but not be in conflict with it.
''Kennel'', a pack or collection of dogs on a single premise, including a commercial boarding or training kennel, commercial breeder kennel, domestic charitable corporation kennel, personal kennel or veterinary kennel.
''Commercial boarding or training kennel'', an establishment used for boarding, holding, day care, overnight stays or training of animals that are not the property of the owner of the establishment, at which such services are rendered in exchange for consideration and in the absence of the owner of any such animal; provided, however, that ''commercial boarding or training kennel'' shall not include an animal shelter or animal control facility, a pet shop licensed under section 39A of chapter 129, a grooming facility operated solely for the purpose of grooming and not for overnight boarding or an individual who temporarily, and not in the normal course of business, boards or cares for animals owned by others.
Definition Simplified: A Commercial boarding or training kennel is a place where you pay to board or train dogs that don’t belong to the kennel licensee, while the dog owners aren’t there. This does not include animal shelters, animal control, pet shops, grooming-only businesses, or people who watch animals for others only sometimes.
''Commercial breeder kennel'', an establishment, other than a personal kennel, engaged in the business of breeding animals for sale or exchange to wholesalers, brokers or pet shops in return for consideration.
Definition Simplified: A kennel owned by a breeder who sells dogs to wholesalers or pet shops.
''Domestic charitable corporation kennel'', a facility operated, owned or maintained by a domestic charitable corporation registered with the department or an animal welfare society or other nonprofit organization incorporated for the purpose of providing for and promoting the welfare, protection and humane treatment of animals, including a veterinary hospital or clinic operated by a licensed veterinarian, which operates consistent with such purposes while providing veterinary treatment and care.
Definition Simplified: A licensed shelter or rescue organization that has dogs.
''Personal kennel'', a pack or collection of more than 4 dogs, 3 months old or older, owned or kept under single ownership, for private personal use; provided, however, that breeding of personally owned dogs may take place for the purpose of improving, exhibiting or showing the breed or for use in legal sporting activity or for other personal reasons; provided further, that selling, trading, bartering or distributing such breeding from a personal kennel shall be to other breeders or individuals by private sale only and not to wholesalers, brokers or pet shops; provided further, that a personal kennel shall not sell, trade, barter or distribute a dog not bred from its personally-owned dog; and provided further, that dogs temporarily housed at a personal kennel, in conjunction with an animal shelter or rescue registered with the department, may be sold, traded, bartered or distributed if the transfer is not for profit.
Definition Simplified: A personal premises (such as a home) that has 5 or more dogs (over 3 months old). Dogs are owned by the licensee or are fosters for a licensed shelter/rescue. Breeders who sell puppies to individual owners or other breeders are included in this category.
''Veterinary kennel'', a veterinary hospital or clinic that boards dogs for reasons in addition to medical treatment or care; provided, however, that ''veterinary kennel'' shall not include a hospital or clinic used solely to house dogs that have undergone veterinary treatment or observation or will do so only for the period of time necessary to accomplish that veterinary care.
Definition simplified: A veterinary clinic that boards dogs for reasons other than just to provide medical care, such as vacation boarding or daycare. It does not include clinics that only keep dogs as long as needed for treatment.
Ollie's Law Resources for ACOs, Municipalities and Kennel Owners
Kennel Reporting for Municipalities
Under MGL Chapter 140 Section 137A all municipal licensing authorities must annually send a list of all kennels and their addresses to the Department of Agricultural Resources for review.
This list must be received by MDAR through this portal no later than June 1st starting in 2025.
All kennel Reporting should be done through the Kennel Reporting for Municipalities Portal. There municipalities may manually enter each kennel's information or upload the completed Kennel Reporting Excel Template.
Ollie's Law Information Zoom Meetings
Meeting Slides and Notes
ACOs, ACO Supervisors, Town Clerks, and Municipal Officials were invited to join MDAR, Mass Animal Fund, MSPCA and ARL representatives on a ZOOM meetings about Ollie's Law Changes.
View the Ollie's Law Meetings Slide Deck and Notes (in editing stay tuned) here. View the Ollie's Law Meetings Slides Only (available).