(a) It is unlawful for any dealer to sell or offer to sell or transport or offer for transportation to any research facility any dog or cat, or to buy, sell, offer to buy or sell, transport or offer for transportation in commerce any dog or cat, unless the dealer has a currently valid license from the commissioner and has complied with the rules and regulations promulgated by the commissioner pursuant to this part.

Attorney's Note

Under the Tennessee Code, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
class C misdemeanorup to 30 daysup to $50
For details, see Tenn. Code § 40-35-111

Terms Used In Tennessee Code 44-17-103

  • Cat: means any live cat of the species Felis catus. See Tennessee Code 44-17-102
  • Commerce: means buying or selling or transporting from one (1) place to another in this state. See Tennessee Code 44-17-102
  • Commissioner: means the commissioner of agriculture. See Tennessee Code 44-17-102
  • Dealer: means any person who, for compensation or profit, buys, sells, transports (except as a common carrier), delivers for transportation, or boards dogs or cats for research purposes, or any person who buys or sells twenty-five (25) or more dogs or cats in any one (1) calendar year for resale within the state or for transportation out of the state. See Tennessee Code 44-17-102
  • Dog: means any live dog of the species Canis familiaris. See Tennessee Code 44-17-102
  • Research facility: means any school, hospital, laboratory, institution, organization or person that uses or intends to use dogs or cats in research, tests, or experiments and that purchases or transports dogs or cats in commerce. See Tennessee Code 44-17-102
(b) A violation of this section is a Class C misdemeanor.
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