Actions would affect the way dogs are bred and sold in Keystone State.

Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell has proposed significant changes to the state’s dog law and related regulations that he says are designed to protect consumers, businesses and dogs themselves.

“We are taking strong steps to protect consumers, reputable breeders and kennels, and the defenseless animals whose health and welfare are at the heart of this important issue,” Rendell said in announcing his proposal on Tuesday.

Among his proposal’s provisions: strengthening criminal penalties related to dog law and cruelty statutes, allow dog wardens to seize dogs in distress and requiring the agriculture department to revoke the license of any kennel owner convicted of cruelty.

Proposed regulatory changes include doubling cage sizes in all kennels except for humane societies (which are exempted because they are designed only to provide temporary shelter), requiring that animals housed in kennels be exercised at least 20 minutes a day, and establishing more detailed specifications for indoor and outdoor kennels regarding proper shelter, temperature control, ventilation, air movement, lighting, bedding, sanitation and record-keeping.

The state already had what were considered some of the most stringent dog breeding regulations in the country; however, its Bureau of Dog Law had not effectively enforced those regulations. The agency regulates more than 2,500 kennels in the state, according to the Philadelphia Enquirer.

In an effort to bolster the bureau’s enforcement efforts, the governor appointed Jessie Smith, a 20-year veteran of the state attorney general’s office, as special deputy secretary for dog law enforcement in the state’s Department of Agriculture, and Jeffrey Paladina as special prosecutor for dog law enforcement.

The governor also created a special enforcement team of four kennel compliance specialists designed to enforce kennel provisions of the dog law and a 16-member dog law advisory board.

The advisory board, which is expected to consider the proposed regulatory changes, replaces a previous advisory board that the governor fired last spring for lackluster performance.