H-1040.1
HOUSE BILL 1640
State of Washington | 66th Legislature | 2019 Regular Session |
ByRepresentatives Appleton and Stanford
Read first time 01/25/19.Referred to Committee on Consumer Protection & Business.
AN ACT Relating to retail pet stores; adding a new section to chapter
16.52 RCW; and prescribing penalties.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter
16.52 RCW to read as follows:
(1) A retail pet store may not sell or offer for sale any dog or cat unless: (a) The dog or cat has been obtained from an animal care and control agency or animal rescue group as defined in RCW
82.04.040; and (b) the dog or cat has been spayed or neutered, or will be spayed or neutered before the buyer takes possession of the animal.
(2) As an alternative to selling or offering for sale any dog or cat, a retail pet store may enter into a cooperative agreement with an animal care and control agency or animal rescue group as defined in RCW
82.04.040 to showcase or display dogs or cats available for adoption, rather than for sale. The animal care and control agency or animal rescue group is responsible for, at a minimum, determining the qualifications of the person seeking to adopt an animal, ensuring that the animal is spayed or neutered before being released to a person adopting the animal, transferring the animal to the person adopting that animal, and collecting any adoption fees.
(3)(a) Each retail pet store offering a dog or cat for sale or adoption under subsection (1) or (2) of this section must maintain records of the name and address of the animal care and control agency or animal rescue group from which each dog or cat was obtained that is to be offered for sale or adoption. These records must be maintained for at least one year and provided to the buyer or person adopting the animal at the time the buyer or person purchases or takes ownership or possession of the dog or cat. The retail pet store must make these records available, upon request, to the local animal care and control agency serving the jurisdiction within which the retail pet store is located.
(b) The retail pet store must post in a conspicuous location on each dog's and cat's cage or enclosure a sign listing the name and address of the animal care and control agency or animal rescue group from which the dog or cat was obtained.
(4) A violation of this section is subject to a civil penalty of five hundred dollars. Each animal offered for sale or adoption in violation of this section constitutes a separate violation.
(5) For the purposes of this section, "retail pet store" means a for-profit place of business open to the public that offers pet supplies or pets for sale.
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