Section 956.051 | Transfer of dogs to pet stores.

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• Effective: March 21, 2017
• Legislation: Senate Bill 331 - 131st General Assembly

(A) No dog retailer shall negligently sell, deliver, barter, auction, broker, give away, or transfer a live dog to a pet store in this state unless the dog was obtained from one of the following sources:

(1) An animal rescue for dogs;

(2) An animal shelter for dogs;

(3) A humane society;

(4) A qualified breeder as defined in section 956.19 of the Revised Code.

(B) No dog retailer shall negligently sell, deliver, barter, auction, broker, give away, or transfer to a pet store in this state any of the following:

(1) A dog that is less than eight weeks old;

(2) A dog without a certificate of veterinarian inspection signed by an accredited veterinarian;

(3) A dog that does not have a permanent implanted identification microchip that is approved for use by the director of agriculture under rules adopted under section 956.03 of the Revised Code;

(4) A dog to a person who is younger than eighteen years of age as verified by valid photo identification;

(5) A dog acquired from a qualified breeder as defined in section 956.19 of the Revised Code unless the d og retailer provides to the person acquiring the dog, at a time p rior to the transaction for the acquisition of the dog, a written certification that includes all of the following information:

(a) The name of the breeder that bred the dog;

(b) The address, if available, of the breeder that bred the dog;

(c) The United States department of agriculture license number of the breeder that bred the dog, if applicable, and a copy of the most current United States department of agriculture inspection report for the breeder;

(d) The dog's birth date, if known;

(e) The date that the pet store took possession of the dog;

(f) The breed, gender, color, and any identifying marks of the dog;

(g) A document signed by an accredited veterinarian that describes any known disease, illness, or congenital or hereditary condition that adversely affects the health of the dog at the time of examination;

(h) A document signed by the dog retailer certifying that all information required to be provided to the person acquiring the dog under this section is accurate. A dog retailer shall keep a copy of the certification for a period of at least two years from the date of the acquisition. The dog retailer shall make the copy of the certification available for inspection or duplication by the department of agriculture.

( C) No dog retailer shall recklessly alter or provide false information on a certification provided in accordance with division ( B)(5) of this section.

( D) This section does not apply to any dog that is being sold, delivered, bartered, auctioned, given away, brokered, or transferred from the premises where the dog was bred and reared.

Available Versions of this Section

• March 21, 2017 – Senate Bill 331 - 131st General Assembly
• September 28, 2018 – Amended by House Bill 506 - 132nd General Assembly
• October 17, 2019 – Amended by House Bill 166 - 133rd General Assembly