Kidwell said his staff work hard to mate the puppies with the right owners. Delilah`s even requires that animals be handed over to the store if owners are unable to care for them. What you may not know: In the state of Indiana, it`s illegal to sell a puppy or kitten before a certain age. Find out how old they must be before they can return home. One important thing about these puppy sales laws is that they may not apply to everyone. In other words, laws may be limited to a specific category of people, such as dog breeders, kennel operators, or other pet stores. Fifteen of the twenty-eight states make it illegal for anyone to sell a minor puppy. Other states limit regulation to pet stores, pet dealers or ranchers. Like many pet sales laws (commonly referred to as „puppy lemons laws“), the purpose of these laws is to curb the distribution of puppies from unregulated sources such as puppy mills, rather than prevent sales from those who are not in the breeding sector (i.e., people who simply give an unwanted litter). 1. A kennel, kennel or commercial establishment that sells animals; or Section 802.201 states that regulations setting minimum standards must prohibit a dog or cat breeder from selling, exchanging or giving away an animal until the animal reaches eight weeks of age.
Under Article 122125, „pet dealer“ means a person who sells dogs or cats, or both, in retail stores and who, in respect of the sale of dogs and cats, is required to hold a licence under Article 6066 of the Revenue and Tax Code. In many states, only the movement of minor dogs or cats in commerce results in a violation of laws. For example, the law could only affect the importation or transportation of puppies or kittens for sale in the state, as is the case in Florida, Indiana and Illinois. States such as Colorado, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania include the adoption or transfer of a minor puppy in their laws. The answer to this question, as to almost all legal questions, depends on where you live. About twenty-seven states as well as DC have laws or bylaws that state how old a puppy must be before it is offered for sale or adopted to an owner. Of these states with laws, all but three (DC, Virginia and Wisconsin) require a puppy to be at least eight weeks old before going on sale. Other states focus on separating the puppy or kitten from its mother in addition to setting a minimum age. Nevada law states that a retailer, dealer or operator cannot separate a dog or cat from its mother until it is 8 weeks old „or is in the habit of eating food or food other than through breastfeeding, whichever is later.“ [emphasis added]. Similarly, Illinois also states that a puppy or kitten must not be „separated from its mother“ until the puppy or kitten reaches 8 weeks of age.
In shelters and emergency departments throughout the state of Indiana, puppies and kittens await their eternal home. Many of them are young puppies and kittens who are always with their mother. Have you ever noticed that shelters offer puppies and kittens for „pre-adoption“? The reason for this is that Indiana state law states that it is illegal to sell or receive a puppy or kitten under 8 weeks old. The exception is when the animal is accompanied by its mother. This includes not only animal shelters and rescues, but also breeders. Of course, a reputable breeder would abide by state laws and would never sell a puppy or kitten before the age of 8 weeks. Although the sale of a cat or dog in a pet store is illegal, the regulation does not prevent individuals from approaching private breeders directly. What happens in states without such laws? This answer is far from clear. Certainly, a retailer who sells a puppy that has not yet been weaned from its mother and is able to eat on its own may not act in the puppy`s best interest.
If the puppy suffers or dies as a result of a retailer`s intentional or reckless behaviour, the retailer could potentially be charged with animal cruelty. In addition, in states that have enacted laws to protect pet buyers, a potential claim could be brought against that merchant for breach of an implied warranty by a purchaser of a minor dog. Even in states with laws, it`s best to talk to a veterinarian ahead of time to find the best age to adopt a new puppy. Morton said some of the local ordinances are being boosted by a new Illinois law that bans puppy mills and bans the sale of dogs and cats in pet stores. Many of these businesses would have to cross the Indiana border because there is no state law prohibiting the sale of puppies and kittens in pet stores. Sell or offer to adopt or transfer to the state a dog or cat less than eight weeks old. Yes. You cannot sell or receive puppies under eight weeks of age unless the puppy is cared for with its mother. „A lot of people who have lived here and maybe moved somewhere, who originally bought us a puppy, came back and bought puppies from us because they like the way they were treated,“ she said. Since the purpose of most of these laws is to curb the sale of underage dogs and protect both dogs and consumers, some parts are excluded from these laws. As you might expect, many states exclude nonprofit animal shelters or humane societies from the laws.
This type of exclusion becomes necessary when considering unwanted puppies that are often left at the door of such organizations. In addition, some states have provisions that exclude traders regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) who provide dogs for research purposes. (1) a biomedical facility approved by the United States Department of Agriculture; or (2) an animal accompanied by a statement signed by a licensed veterinarian attesting that the mother is incapable for human or medical reasons and cannot care for the animal. „We`ve seen a lot of pet stores selling puppies move to northwest Indiana, and a lot of communities respond by saying we don`t want those stores to come to our community next,“ Morton said. There are many reasons for the law, one of which is that puppies and kittens are usually not fully weaned until they are 8 weeks old. Another reason for the law is that puppies especially in a pack environment learn certain behaviors at an early age that they simply can`t learn from humans, resulting in poor social skills and even poor physical coordination.
