Pennsylvania Code › Title 7 - AGRICULTURE › Part II - Dog Law Enforcement Bureau › Chapter 28a - COMMERCIAL KENNEL CANINE HEALTH REGULATIONS › GENERAL PROVISIONS › Section 28a.4 - Humidity levels

Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 28, July 13, 2024
(a)
General standards
. A kennel and kennel housing facility, where
				  a dog is housed, kept or present, including primary enclosures must meet the
				  following humidity levels:
(1)
Temperatures below 85° Fahrenheit
. When temperatures in
				  the kennel or kennel housing facility, where any dog is housed, kept or
				  present, including primary enclosures, are below 85° Fahrenheit, relative
				  humidity levels shall be kept between 30% and 70%.
(2)
Temperatures above 85°
				  Fahrenheit
. When temperatures, in any part of the kennel or kennel
				  housing facility, where a dog is housed, kept or present, including primary
				  enclosures, rise above 85° Fahrenheit, the relative humidity level shall be
				  reduced to a level that will accomplish a Heat Index value of 85 or
				  lower.
(3)
Four-hour
				  window
. Once the temperature in any part of the kennel or kennel
				  housing facility, where a dog is housed, kept or present, exceeds 85°
				  Fahrenheit, the kennel owner shall have 4 hours to accomplish and maintain a
				  Heat Index of 85 HI or lower, as required under paragraph (2). At no time
				  during that 4-hour time period or at any other time shall the Heat Index value
				  ever exceed 90 HI in any area, room or part of the kennel or housing facility,
				  where a dog is housed kept or present, including primary enclosures. If within
				  4 hours, the kennel owner is unable to accomplish and maintain a Heat Index of
				  85 HI or lower, the kennel owner shall immediately notify the kennel's
				  veterinarian and consult on the steps to be taken to protect the health and
				  well being of the dogs, as well as contemporaneously keep the records required
				  under §
											28a.2(g)(2)(ii)-(iii)
				  (relating to ventilation). If such a failure to accomplish and maintain a Heat
				  Index of 85 HI or lower exceeds 24 hours, the kennel owner shall contact the
				  Department in the manner prescribed and provide it with the information
				  required under § 28a.2(g)(3) and (4).
(4)
Calculation of HI
.
(i) The tool that shall be utilized to
				  determine the HI value and thereby the proper humidity levels when temperatures
				  rise above 85° Fahrenheit shall be the Temperature and Humidity Index of
				  the National Weather Service or its successor standard. This is also available
				  at the National Weather Service web site at
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/
and then
				  search HI; the HI Calculator is located at
http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/html/heatindex.shtml
.
(ii) A chart setting forth the Heat Index
				  values is set forth in Appendix A. (Examples of the Heat Index values are:
				  86° Fahrenheit and 40% humidity = HI of 85° Fahrenheit; and 90°
				  Fahrenheit and 20% humidity = HI of 86° Fahrenheit.)
(5)
Condensation
. Humidity
				  levels, other than during times of cleaning and sanitizing, may not rise to the
				  level where condensation occurs in any area of the kennel, kennel housing
				  facility or primary enclosures where a dog is housed, kept or
				  present.