THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

1522

TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2011

S.D. 2

STATE OF HAWAII

H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO DOGS.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 


     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that Hawaii does not currently regulate the large-scale breeding of dogs.  This lack of regulation may result in the breeding of dogs in a cruel and inhumane manner under conditions that can inflict long-term suffering on dogs and may also lead to the sale of unhealthy dogs to unsuspecting consumers.

     The legislature further finds that there is a need to regulate large-scale dog breeding operations and facilities to protect the public as well as prevent the cruel treatment of dogs.  The purpose of regulation is to ensure that:

     (1)  All dogs that are handled by large-scale breeders are provided with humane care and treatment in their transportation, sale, purchase, housing, care, and handling by persons or organizations engaged in breeding dogs;

     (2)  The public is protected from purchasing dogs that have been raised in an inhumane manner and may be unhealthy; and

     (3)  Each dog bred commercially is provided with sufficient food and clean water, sufficient shelter from the elements, necessary veterinary care, sufficient space, and regular exercise, among other things.

     The purpose of this Act is to require the licensing of large-scale breeders to ensure that every dog under their care is provided with sufficient food and water, sufficient shelter from the elements, necessary veterinarian care, sufficient space, and regular exercise, among other things.

     SECTION 2.  The Hawaii Revised Statutes is amended by adding a new chapter to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"Chapter

LARGE-SCALE DOG BREEDER REGULATION

     §   -1  Definitions.  As used in this chapter:

     "Adequate rest between breeding cycles" means ensuring, at a minimum, that intact female dogs are not bred to produce more than two litters in any eighteen-month period.

     "Department" means the department of commerce and consumer affairs.

     "Director" means the director of commerce and consumer affairs.

     "Dog" means any animal that is wholly or in part of the species canis familiaris.

     "Large-scale dog breeder" means a person who: for compensation or profit, sells or offers for sale, exchange, or lease, via any means of communication including the Internet, newspaper, or telephone, twenty-five or more of the offspring of  breeding female dogs in any one-year period and is engaged in the business of breeding intact female dogs; owns or harbors twenty or more intact female dogs over six months of age that are intended for breeding; or owns or harbors a total of thirty intact dogs over the age of six months that are intended for breeding on the premises.

     "License" means a large-scale dog breeder license issued under this chapter.

     "Licensee" means a person licensed under this chapter.

     "Necessary veterinary care" means, as applicable, an examination at least once yearly, prompt treatment of any illness or injury, or humane euthanasia by a veterinarian licensed under chapter 471 using lawful techniques deemed acceptable by the American Veterinary Medical Association.

     "Premises" means property, whether private or public, upon which buildings, yards, kennels, pens, and cages used by the owner of a dog breeding operation in the usual course of business are located.

     "Regular exercise" means constant and unfettered access to an outdoor exercise area that is composed of a solid, ground-level surface with adequate drainage; provides some protection against sun, wind, and rain; and provides each dog with at least twice the square footage of the indoor floor space provided to that dog.

     "Sufficient food and clean water" means access at least once a day to appropriate nutritious food sufficient to maintain good health and continuous access to potable water that is free of debris, feces, algae, and other contaminants.

     "Sufficient housing, including protection from the elements" means constant and unfettered access to an indoor enclosure that has a solid floor and that is not stacked or otherwise placed on top of or below another animal's enclosure; is cleaned of waste at least once a day while the dog is outside the enclosure; and does not rise above eighty-five degrees Fahrenheit indoors.

     "Sufficient space to turn and stretch freely, lie down, and fully extend its limbs" means having:

     (1)  Sufficient indoor space for each dog to turn in a complete circle without any impediment, including a tether;

     (2)  Enough indoor space for each dog to lie down and fully extend its limbs and stretch freely without touching the side of an enclosure or another dog;

     (3)  At least one foot of headroom above the head of the tallest dog in the enclosure; and

     (4)  At least:

         (A)  Twelve square feet of indoor floor space per dog measuring up to twenty-five inches long;

         (B)  Twenty square feet of indoor floor space per dog measuring between twenty-five and thirty-five inches long; and

         (C)  Thirty square feet of indoor floor space per dog measuring thirty-five inches and longer;

provided that the length of the dog shall be measured from the tip of the nose to the base of the tail.

     §   -2  License required.  No person shall operate as a large-scale dog breeder unless the person obtains a valid license as a large-scale dog breeder and obtains prior approval of the appropriate county department of planning and permitting.

     §   -3  License requirements; fees; renewal; premises available for inspection.  (a)  An applicant for a large-scale dog breeder license shall submit an application to the department on a form prescribed by the department, together with the annual license fee as established by a fee schedule adopted by the department by rule pursuant to chapter 91.  Upon receipt of the application and annual license fee and upon satisfactory completion of a license-qualifying inspection under section    ‑4, the department shall issue a license.  A license shall not be transferable to another person or location.

     (b)  A license shall be renewable by filing with the department on or before December 31 of each year a renewal application on forms prescribed by the department and submitting the annual license fee.

     (c)  A licensee shall make its premises available for unannounced inspection by the director or the director's designee during regular business hours.

     §   -4  Inspections; investigations; access.  (a)  The director may undertake any investigation necessary to ensure compliance with this chapter, including a license-qualifying inspection.  At any time during regular business hours, the director or any enforcement officer employed by the department shall have free and unimpeded access for the purpose of carrying out any provision of this chapter or any rule adopted pursuant to this chapter:

     (1)  To those portions of all buildings, yards, pens, and other areas in which any dogs are kept, handled, or transported; and

     (2)  To all records required to be kept by this chapter, including copies of records.

     (b)  After the denial, suspension, or revocation of a license, the director shall have free and unimpeded access to the premises and other areas in which dogs are suspected of being kept, handled, or transported without the valid license and to all records that are reasonably necessary to verify that the operation of a large-scale dog breeding operation has ceased.

     (c)  The director shall have authority to administer oaths and take statements, issue subpoenas requiring the attendance of witnesses, and require the production of all books, memoranda, papers, and other documents, articles, or instruments, and to compel the disclosure by a witness of all facts known to the witness relative to any matters under investigation.  Upon the failure or refusal of any witness to obey a subpoena issued by the director, the attorney general may petition the district court and, upon a proper showing, the court may enter an order compelling the witness to appear and testify or produce documentary evidence.  Failure to obey an order of the court shall be punishable as contempt of court.

     §   -5  Requirements for humane breeding.  (a)  A licensee shall ensure that every dog under the licensee's care is provided with:

     (1)  Adequate rest between breeding cycles;

     (2)  Necessary veterinary care;

     (3)  Regular exercise;

     (4)  Sufficient food and clean water;

     (5)  Sufficient housing, including protection from the elements; and

     (6)  Sufficient space to turn and stretch freely, lie down, and fully extend its limbs,

as defined in section    -1.

     (b)  A licensee shall be subject to a citation issued by the director for a violation of this section for each affected dog.

     §   -6  Enforcement.  (a)  The director or the director's designee shall enforce the provisions of this chapter.  Whenever the director has reasonable cause to believe that a violation of any provision of this chapter or any rule adopted pursuant to this chapter has occurred and immediate enforcement is deemed necessary, the director may issue a cease-and-desist order, requiring any person to cease violating any provision of this chapter or any rule adopted pursuant to this chapter.  A cease‑and-desist order issued pursuant to this subsection shall set forth the provisions alleged to have been violated, the facts alleged to have constituted the violation, and the requirement that all unlawful actions cease.  At any time after service of the order to cease and desist, the person subject to the order may request a prompt hearing to determine whether or not a violation has occurred.

     (b)  If any person fails to comply with a cease-and-desist order within twenty-four hours, the director may bring a suit for a temporary restraining order and for injunctive relief to prevent any further or continued violation of this chapter.

     (c)  No stay of a cease-and-desist order shall be issued without a hearing on the order involving both parties.

     (d)  Whenever the director possesses sufficient evidence to indicate that a person has engaged in or is about to engage in any act or practice constituting a violation of any provision of this chapter or any rule adopted pursuant to this chapter, the director may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction to temporarily or permanently restrain or enjoin the act or practice in question and to enforce compliance with this chapter or any rule or order issued pursuant to this chapter.  In an action pursuant to this subsection, the director shall not be required to plead or prove irreparable injury or the inadequacy of the remedy at law.  Under no circumstances shall the court require the director to post a bond.

     §   -7  Rules.  The director shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 91 necessary for the purposes of this chapter.

     §   -8  Civil penalties.  (a)  Any person who operates as a large-scale dog breeder without a license shall be subject to a civil penalty of up to $1,000; provided that each day of a violation shall be considered a separate offense.  Any person who violates section    -5 shall be subject to a civil penalty of up to $1,000 for each citation. 

     (b)  No civil penalty shall be imposed unless the person charged is given notice and an opportunity for a hearing.

     (c)  If the director is unable to collect a civil penalty or if any person fails to pay all or a set portion of the civil penalty imposed by the director, the director may:

     (1)  Bring suit to recover the amount of the civil penalty plus costs and attorney fees by action in any court of competent jurisdiction; or

     (2)  Refuse to renew the person's license.

     §   -9  Criminal penalties.  In addition to the civil penalties provided under section    -8, any person who operates as a large‑scale dog breeder without a license or who violates section    -5 shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

     §   -10  Prohibited acts.  (a)  Unless otherwise authorized by law, it shall be a violation of this chapter for any person or entity:

     (1)  To perform any of the acts of a large-scale dog breeder for which licensure is required without possessing a valid license;

     (2)  To solicit, advertise, or offer to perform any of the acts for which licensure as a large-scale dog breeder is required without possessing a valid license;

     (3)  To refuse to comply with a cease-and-desist order issued pursuant to section    -6;

     (4)  To refuse or fail to comply with the provisions of this chapter;

     (5)  To make a material misstatement in a license application, a license renewal application, or to the department during an official investigation;

     (6)  To impersonate any state or county official or inspector;

     (7)  To refuse or fail to comply with any rules adopted by the department pursuant to this chapter or any lawful order issued by the director;

     (8)  To aid or abet another in any violation of this chapter or any rule adopted by the director pursuant to this chapter; or

     (9)  To alter or falsify a certificate of veterinary inspection or any other certificate of veterinary health.

     (b)  It shall be a violation of this chapter for any large-scale dog breeder:

     (1)  To refuse to permit entry or inspection in accordance with section    -4;

     (2)  To allow a license issued pursuant to this chapter to be used by an unlicensed person;

     (3)  To make any misrepresentation or false promise through advertisements, employees, agents, or otherwise in connection with the business operations licensed pursuant to this chapter or for which an application for a license is pending;

     (4)  To fail to take reasonable care to release for sale, trade, or adoption only those dogs that are free of undisclosed disease, injury, or abnormality; or

     (5)  To own or harbor more than fifty intact dogs on a premises subject to this chapter.

     (c)  Any person who violates this section shall be subject to a fine of $2,000 per animal."

     SECTION 3.  This Act does not affect rights and duties that matured, penalties that were incurred, and proceedings that were begun before its effective date.

     SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2112.



 

Report Title:

Dogs; Large-scale Dog Breeding; Regulation

 

Description:

Establishes requirements for licensure and regulation of large-scale dog breeders.  Effective July 1, 2112.  (SB1522 HD1)

 

 

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.