The Kansas Department of Agriculture’s Division of Animal Health is updating the enforcement regulations of the Kansas Pet Animal Act, and is welcoming informal public comment on the proposed changes through Monday, September 9, 2024.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) encourages all hobby breeders, animal breeders, and retail breeders licensed under the Kansas Pet Animal Act to review the proposed changes and provide informal comment to the Division of Animal Health by Monday, September 9, 2024.
To provide comment, go to https://www.agriculture.ks.gov/divisions-programs/division-of-animal-health/animal-facilities-inspection/kpaa-amended-regulations, scroll to the bottom of the page, and complete and submit the comment form.
Click here to view the full text of the proposed changes.
WHO DOES THIS APPLY TO?
Hobby breeders (per license year: 3-5 litters produced, less than 30 dogs and cats sold); animal breeders (wholesale); retail breeders; pounds, shelters, and animal rescues; pet shops; research facilities; animal distributors; and boarding/training facilities are required to be licensed or permitted under the Kansas Pet Animal Act.
Click here to view the full Kansas Pet Animal Act and its current regulations.
OVERVIEW OF CHANGES IMPACTING BREEDERS
- Adds new definitions of adopt, attending veterinarian, communicable disease, permittee, resale, and veterinarian client relationship; simplifies the definition of licensee.
- Increases requirements for pet animal facilities importing dogs or cats from other states or countries into Kansas to address the growing concern for disease spread and the importation of drug resistant strains of certain diseases.
- Clarifies facility record retention requirements, and requires facilities to give prospective pet owners a complete copy of the animal’s facility and medical records at the time of transfer of ownership.
- Ensures animal facilities remain at or below their maximum capacity.
- Adds additional grounds for which routine inspections can be conducted: every 3-12 months for new premises; premises that have failed one of its two most recent inspections; or premises that were not made available for inspection as required.
- Clarifies veterinary care requirements, and harmonize it with similar language found in the federal Animal Welfare Act.
- Outlines the timelines that a licensee must abide by for notifying the program of any changes to their contact information, plans to close, plans to open a new facility, or plans to increase their facility’s maximum capacity.
- Requires licensees to inform a potential pet owner of any behavioral or medical issues prior to physical and legal transfer of the pet.
- Sets out the requirements for submitting a completed license application or renewal.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact AKC Government Relations at doglaw@akc.org.