(A) The director of agriculture may issue a pet store license to an owner or operator of a pet store when the owner or operator does all of the following:

Terms Used In Ohio Code 956.21

  • agriculture: includes farming; ranching; aquaculture; algaculture meaning the farming of algae; apiculture and related apicultural activities, production of honey, beeswax, honeycomb, and other related products; horticulture; viticulture, winemaking, and related activities; animal husbandry, including, but not limited to, the care and raising of livestock, equine, and fur-bearing animals; poultry husbandry and the production of poultry and poultry products; dairy production; the production of field crops, tobacco, fruits, vegetables, nursery stock, ornamental shrubs, ornamental trees, flowers, sod, or mushrooms; timber; pasturage; any combination of the foregoing; the processing, drying, storage, and marketing of agricultural products when those activities are conducted in conjunction with, but are secondary to, such husbandry or production; and any additions or modifications to the foregoing made by the director of agriculture by rule adopted in accordance with Chapter 119 of the Revised Code. See Ohio Code 1.61
  • in writing: includes any representation of words, letters, symbols, or figures; this provision does not affect any law relating to signatures. See Ohio Code 1.59
  • Pet store: means an individual retail store to which both of the following apply: the store sells forty or more puppies or adult dogs in any calendar year to the public; and with regard to the sale of a dog from the store, the sales person, the buyer of a dog, and the dog for sale are physically present during the sales transaction so that the buyer may personally observe the dog and help ensure its health prior to taking custody. See Ohio Code 956.01
  • state: means the state of Ohio. See Ohio Code 1.59

(1) Applies for a license in accordance with this section and rules adopted under section 956.03 of the Revised Code;

(2) Affirms in writing that the owner or operator will maintain compliance with the applicable requirements established under section 959.20 of the Revised Code;

(3) Submits with the application for a pet store license a fee of five hundred dollars.

(B) The director of agriculture may deny, suspend, or revoke a license issued under this section for a violation of division (A), (B), or (C) of section 956.20 of the Revised Code or rules adopted under section 956.03 of the Revised Code. The denial, suspension, or revocation of a license is not effective until the licensee is given written notice of the violation, a reasonable amount of time to correct the violation, if possible, and an opportunity for a hearing.

The director also may refuse to issue a license under division (B) of this section if the applicant has violated division (A), (B), or (C) of section 956.20 of the Revised Code or the rules adopted under section 956.03 of the Revised Code during the thirty-six-month period prior to submitting an application for the license.

(C) Any license issued under this section is valid for a period of one year from the date of issuance. A pet store license must be renewed annually in the manner provided in rules adopted under section 956.03 of the Revised Code.

(D) Money collected by the director of agriculture from each application fee submitted under this section shall be deposited in the state treasury to the credit of the pet store license fund created in section 956.181 of the Revised Code.

(E) No owner, operator, or manager 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 in this state unless a license has been issued for the pet store by the director of agriculture in accordance with this section and rules adopted under section 956.03 of the Revised Code.

  Previous section
Next section  
 Chapter 956 Contents