Massachusetts Joint Committee Finds 82 Towns Still Defy Ali's Law Kennel Reporting Mandate

BOSTON — May 5, 2026 — Massachusetts joint committee finds more than one in five towns still flouting Ali's Law kennel reporting mandate. A joint oversight hearing of the Senate Post-Audit and Oversight Committee and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee revealed that 82 of 351 Massachusetts municipalities — just over 23 percent — have failed to report licensed kennel counts to the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources as required under Chapter 213 of the Acts of 2024. Mike Cahill, Director of the Division of Animal Health, testified that draft implementing regulations, due within 18 months of the law's December 2024 effective date, have cleared MDAR's legal division and are now awaiting secretariat approval for a public hearing — but acknowledged the department "may be a little bit behind" the statutory deadline. Committee Chair Senator Mark Montigny, a prime sponsor of the law, warned that MDAR currently has no mechanism to fine noncompliant municipalities, calling the situation "disturbing" and demanding the agency provide a timeline. Advisory committee Chair Jenny Mather, Allie Blank of the Animal Rescue League of Boston, and Carol Holmquist of the MSPCA all testified in support of House Bill 4849, now in House Ways and Means, which would grant MDAR fining authority over cities and towns that fail to comply with kennel licensing requirements.