Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2003/03/14/03-6161/licensing-and-inspection-requirements-for-dealers-of-dogs-intended-for-hunting-breeding-or-security
Timestamp: 2017-08-19 08:21:36
Document Index: 639850030

Matched Legal Cases: ['§\u20092', '§\u20091', '§\u20092', '§\u20091', '§\u20091', '§\u20091', '§\u20091', 'art 3', 'arts 2', '§\u20091']

A Rule by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service on 03/14/2003
Docket No. 99-087-3
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/03-6161 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/03-6161
Start Preamble Start Printed Page 12283
We are amending the animal welfare regulations to reflect our policy of regulating only wholesale dealers, and not retail dealers, of dogs intended for hunting, breeding, or security purposes. We currently regulate these wholesale dealers under the same regulations in place for wholesale dealers of other dogs. This action makes the regulations consistent with our policy and, therefore, clarifies licensing and inspection requirements for affected dealers of dogs intended for hunting, breeding, or security purposes.
Dr. Jerry DePoyster, Senior Staff Veterinarian, Animal Care, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 84, Riverdale, MD 20737-1234; (301) 734-7586.
Because the regulations at § 2.1 require that all dealers of dogs must be licensed and inspected, we published in the Federal Register on December 4, 2000 (65 FR 75635-75637, Docket No. 99-087-1), a proposal to amend the regulations to reflect the intent of the AWA and our policy of regulating only wholesale dealers of dogs intended for hunting, breeding, or security purposes. Specifically, we proposed to amend the definition of dealer in § 1.1 to make it clear that, with respect to dealers of hunting, breeding, and security dogs, the term applies only to wholesale dealers of these dogs.
As described above, the regulations at § 2.1 require that all dealers of dogs must be licensed and inspected. Currently, then, because our definition of dealer in § 1.1 can be extended or interpreted to include both wholesale and retail dealers of hunting, breeding, and security dogs, our regulations have been inconsistent with our published policy. As stated previously and in the Start Printed Page 12284proposed rule, the change will be reflected in the definition of dealer in § 1.1.
Another large group of commenters supported most of the proposal, but requested that we further modify the definition of “dealer” in § 1.1 to include establishments referred to as “puppy mills.” These commenters indicated that retail dealers should remain excluded from the definition of “dealer,” but suggested that we need to regulate high-volume dealers.
Although there is no standard, fully encompassing definition for the term “puppy mill,” most people use it to refer to high-volume breeding establishments that sell dogs at the wholesale level and sell few, if any, dogs directly to the public. Therefore, as wholesale dealers, the sellers in question are subject to licensing and inspection requirements.
We have used all available data to estimate the potential economic effects of changing the definition of dealer in § 1.1 to reflect our policy of regulating wholesale dealers of hunting, breeding, or security dogs. However, specific data concerning the number of small entities that will be affected by this rule is not available. In our proposed rule, we invited comments. However, none of the comments we received specifically addressed potential economic effects.
Among other costs incurred by wholesale dealers of hunting, breeding, and security dogs are expenses related to veterinary care, tagging or tattoo marking for animal identification, recordkeeping, health certification of dogs commercially transported, and maintenance of appropriate facilities and operating standards (see 9 CFR part 3, subpart A). It is reasonable to assume, however, that these responsibilities are met by affected dealers simply as a matter of good business practice. When dealers satisfy the facilities and operating standards of the regulations by, for example, providing a safe and healthy environment (including appropriate heating, cooling and ventilation of the dogs' housing to adequate feeding and exercising programs), those dealers are contributing to their dogs' eventual sale value. As another example, records of transactions can only further a wholesale dealer's business success. Start Printed Page 12285Therefore, it is in a dealer's financial interest to promote the health and well-being of his or her dogs in accordance with the regulations. However, if any wholesale dealers of hunting, breeding, or security dogs were not in compliance with the regulations in 9 CFR parts 2 and 3 prior to our policy announcement on July 19, 1999, they will likely have incurred expenses related to meeting these requirements. We do not have information on the number of such dealers or what their expenses might be.
The Regulatory Flexibility Act requires that agencies consider the economic effects of rules on small entities. The Small Business Administration determines the criteria by which entities are classified as “small,” using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) categories. Wholesale dealers of hunting, breeding, or security dogs are included within NAICS category 112990, “All Other Animal Production.” Small entities in this category are ones with annual receipts of $750,000 or less. Although data is not available on the number of wholesale dealers of hunting, breeding, or security dogs, or their incomes, we presume the majority are small entities.
2. In § 1.1 the definition for