2023 Ohio Revised Code › Title 9 | Agriculture-Animals-Fences › Chapter 956 | Regulation and Licensing of Dog Kennels › Section 956.20 | Dogs Sold, Delivered, Bartered, etc., From Pet Stores.

Effective:
October 17, 2019
Latest Legislation:
House Bill 166 - 133rd General Assembly
(A) No owner, manager, or employee of a pet store shall negligently display, offer for sale, deliver, barter, auction, broker, give away, transfer, or sell any live dog from a pet store to a person unless the dog was obtained from one of the following sources:
(1) An animal rescue for dogs;
(2) An animal shelter for dogs;
(3) A humane society;
(4) A dog broker, provided that, if the dog broker originally obtained the dog from a breeder, the breeder is a qualified breeder;
(5) A qualified breeder.
(B) No owner, manager, or employee of a pet store shall negligently sell, deliver, barter, auction, broker, give away, or transfer any of the following:
(1) A dog that is less than eight weeks old;
(2) A dog without a health certificate signed by an accredited veterinarian;
(3) A dog that does not have a permanent implanted identification microchip that is approved for use by the director of agriculture under rules adopted under section 956.03 of the Revised Code;
(4) A dog to a person who is younger than eighteen years of age as verified by valid photo identification;
(5) A dog acquired from a qualified breeder or a dog broker unless the owner, manager, or employee provides to the person acquiring the dog, at a time prior to the transaction for the acquisition of the dog, a written certification that includes all of the following information:
(a) The name of the breeder that bred the dog;
(b) The address, if available, of the breeder that bred the dog;
(c) The United States department of agriculture license number of the breeder that bred the dog, if applicable, and a copy of the most current United States department of agriculture inspection report for the breeder;
(d) The dog's birth date, if known;
(e) The date that the pet store took possession of the dog;
(f) The breed, gender, color, and any identifying marks of the dog;
(g) A document signed by an accredited veterinarian that describes any known disease, illness, or congenital or hereditary condition that adversely affects the health of the dog at the time of examination;
(h) A document signed by the owner, manager, or employee of the pet store certifying that all information required to be provided to the person acquiring the dog under division (B)(5) of this section is accurate. A pet store shall keep a copy of the certification for a period of at least two years from the date of the acquisition. The owner, manager, or an employee of the pet store shall make the copy of the certification available for inspection or duplication by the department of agriculture.
(6) A dog acquired from a qualified breeder or a dog broker unless all of the following information regarding the dog is available to the general public at the pet store:
(a) The name of the breeder that bred the dog;
(b) The address, if available, of the breeder that bred the dog;
(c) The United States department of agriculture license number of the breeder that bred the dog, if applicable;
(d) The dog's birth date, if known;
(e) The breed of the dog.
(C) No owner, manager, or employee of a pet store shall recklessly alter or provide false information on a certification provided in accordance with division (B)(5) of this section.