A new dog law goes into effect on Friday here in Massachusetts much to the relief of animal lovers across the commonwealth. The law is called "Ollie's Law". Massachusetts governor Maura Healey signed the bill into law back in October.

A big part of our radio show is our partnership with the local humane society. Once a week the CEO of the Berkshire Humane Society, John Perrault joins us to discuss pet safety, animal news from around Massachusetts, and a weekly featured dog, cat, or other animal that is up for adoption.

What is "Ollie's Law"?

Ollie's law guarantees more protection for dogs in daycare centers, ensuring that the dogs do not outnumber the staff as well. This is probably most important since this is what prompted the legislature.

The law seeks to improve animal safety across the state by updating the licensure scheme for kennels, as Massachusetts previously had no state oversight of daycare and boarding facilities. It requires all kennels to be licensed and all dogs to be individually licensed. It also requires municipalities to establish a limit to the number of animals that can be housed by a kennel based on accommodations and available staff. -mass.gov

Ollie was an young labradoodle from Longmeadow, MA whose preventable death was the fault of bad state safety regulations, according to the Healy administration.

The law was inspired by the story of Ollie and his mom Amy Baxter. In 2020, Amy received the horrifying news that her beloved seven-month-old Labradoodle, Ollie, had been injured in a dog fight while staying at a doggy daycare. He was seriously wounded, required around-the-clock care and surgery and had to remain in the hospital. Tragically, Ollie succumbed to his injuries and passed away two months later.