The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry (Department) has proposed amendments to the rules applying to commercial pet breeders and animal shelters.
Oklahoma’s Commercial Pet Breeders and Animal Shelter Licensing Act defines “commercial breeder/commercial pet breeder” as any individual, entity, association, trust, or corporation who possesses eleven or more intact female animals for the use of breeding or dealing in animals for direct or indirect sale or for exchange in return for consideration.
The rule amendments seek to:
- Require an applicant to pay a prelicense inspection fee of $100;
- Require a licensee to provide the Department notice if they intend to expand their operation to a higher level of license category.
- Require a second prelicense fee to be paid if an owner or operator fails to appear for an arranged inspection without providing a 24-hour notice.
- Add language to give an owner or operator additional time to fix deficiencies cited in an inspection report.
- Revoke annual reporting requirements;
- Add temperature and water requirements for animals housed in non-temperature controlled environments.
- Require sanitation records.
Click here to view the proposed rules amendments in full.
Business entities affected by these proposed rules are requested to provide the Department with information, in dollar amounts, if possible, about the increase in the level of direct costs, indirect costs, or other costs expected to be incurred due to compliance with the proposed rules. Written comments will be accepted through January 4, 2024, and should be submitted to:
Kiersten Hamill, Assistant General Counsel
Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry
P.O. Box 528804
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73152-8804
kiersten.hamill@ag.ok.gov
Impacted parties are also encouraged to attend the Thursday, January 4, 2024, public hearing on the proposal. The hearing is scheduled to begin at 11AM in the Board Room of the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry, 2800 North Lincoln Boulevard, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73105.
For more information, email Kiersten Hamill at kiersten.hamill@ag.ok.gov; or AKC Government Relations at doglaw@akc.org.