Current through 2024 Regular Session legislation effective June 6, 2024
Section 167.374 - Possession or control of dogs for purpose of reproduction; records; exceptions(1) As used in this section:(a) "Boarding kennel" means a facility that provides care for a fee to dogs that stay at the facility an average of less than 30 days.(b) "Dog" means a member of the subspecies Canis lupus familiaris or a hybrid of that subspecies.(c) "Litter" means one or more dogs, sold individually or together, that are all or part of a group of dogs born to the same mother at the same time.(2) A person may not possess, control or otherwise have charge of at the same time more than 50 sexually intact dogs that are two years of age or older for the primary purpose of reproduction. It is prima facie evidence that a person possesses dogs for the primary purpose of reproduction if during a 12-month period the person sells, offers for sale, barters or exchanges more than three litters of dogs that are less than eight months of age.(3) A person that possesses, controls or otherwise has charge of 50 or more sexually intact dogs that are eight months of age or older shall maintain a record for each of those dogs that identifies:(a) The date of birth for the dog or, if the date of birth is unknown, the date the person acquired possession, control or charge of the dog and the source of the dog;(b) The dates on which the dog has been bred;(c) For a female, the number of dogs in each litter produced; and(d) The disposition the person makes of each dog possessed by, controlled by or in the charge of the person, including the date of disposition, manner of disposition and the name and address information for any person taking possession, control or charge of a dog.(4) A person shall retain a record required under subsection (3) of this section for a period of three years following the death of the dog or a date on which the person permanently ceased to have possession, control or charge of the dog.(5) Subsections (2) to (4) of this section do not apply to:(a) An animal control agency, humane society or animal shelter;(b) A person who provides care for dogs at the request of a unit of government, government agency, humane society or animal shelter;(c) A veterinary facility;(d) A person that is transporting dogs; or(6) A violation of this section is a Class B misdemeanor. However, a court shall suspend sentence under this subsection for a violation of subsection (2) of this section if the person agrees to have a sufficient number of dogs spayed or neutered to remedy the violation.