SB903: Dogs; sale and procurement by pet shops, pet shop regulations.

Legislative Summary

Sale and procurement of dogs by pet shops; pet shop regulations. Requires a pet shop, upon taking custody of a dog, or any representative of a pet shop upon taking custody of a dog on behalf of the pet shop, to make a record of the matter containing certain information relating to the custody of the dog. The bill requires the pet shop to maintain such records for at least two years and make them available to the State Veterinarian at the time of inspection or upon request. The bill requires the pet shop make a summary of such records available to the State Veterinarian during inspection or upon request. The bill also directs the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services to include in its regulations governing the keeping of dogs and cats by a pet shop a civil penalty not to exceed $1,000 per violation for each finding in a given inspection of a pet shop upon communication to the pet shop, provided that the cumulative civil penalty does not exceed $5,000. The bill requires the civil penalty to be recovered in a civil action brought by the Attorney General in the name of the Commonwealth and paid into a special fund in the state treasury to the credit of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.