Pennsylvania dog law relaxation reveals ‘Snow White’ isn’t, but she and her pups are cute

HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — To understand her original frustration with new Dog Law requirements she was told she had to meet, just look at Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.

No, not the Disney characters, but a mother dog and seven pups Bethany Peters rescued from a crowded animal shelter in the southern United States with a high euthanasia rate.

The dog warden who inspects Peters’ rescue — PA Caring for K-9’s — had told her, citing the new law, she could no longer “advertise” dogs for adoption until after they arrived and spent 14 days in quarantine. Previously, she would post photos of dogs who were on their way north, so potential adopters could begin the application process and be approved by about when the dogs were ready to be adopted.

She said the delay reduced the number of dogs she could rescue. But she tried to make the best of it. When the mom and pups — whose pictures she couldn’t show and whom she couldn’t even describe — were coming north, she held a naming contest, and her social media followers picked Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. That was logical enough based on the little she could reveal (just that they existed and how many of them there were) but turned out to be a funny name, considering how she can now reveal they actually look.

At least “the pups have some white on them,” Peters said.

What really matters is, her dog warden told her she can go back to telling her followers about “coming soon” dogs before they’re fully ready for adoption.

Why the change? The Department of Agriculture didn’t return an abc27 News message, but Peters guessed leaders might have decided they could take a more flexible view about what constitutes an “advertisement” (i.e., not an unpaid social media post).

Another part of the new dog law (which passed both General Assembly chambers by wide bipartisan margins) — requirements causing boarding kennels near state lines to lose business, according to the kennels — appears to remain unresolved so far. The bill’s primary sponsor told abc27 News last week he was working with the Department of Agriculture to address the concerns that arose after the law took effect.

Peters credits the abc27 News story with helping to resolve the “advertising” issue that was impacting rescues.

“It was the best thing ever. It was such a great opportunity to have our voices heard,” Peters said. “I really feel being able to bring a follow-up to the original news story, and how it’s affecting local rescues — really, just, it made a change and it made a difference for not only for PA Caring for K-9’s, but for for any local rescue in Pennsylvania.”

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