Gov. Rendell signs new restrictions on Pa. dog breeders

HARRISBURG (AP) — Pennsylvania has a new law that limits the types of surgical procedures that can be performed on dogs and imposes tougher penalties on people who steal dogs for fighting.

Gov. Ed Rendell signed a bill today that establishes penalties for dog owners and breeders who crop ears, cut vocal cords or perform surgical births. It also generally bans docking tails or removing dewclaws from dogs more than five days old.

Owners have to maintain records that show licensed veterinarians performed such procedures.

Rendell says he’s no longer commenting about the Philadelphia Eagles’ signing of convicted dogfighting ring figure Michael Vick. He’s previously said the quarterback seemed to be “genuinely remorseful.”