Puppy Lemon Laws

Owners of USDA and PA licensed facilities, and pet shops that sell dogs, must have the animal checked within 21 days prior to sale. If the dog becomes sick the buyer may return the dog for a refund, exchange the dog, or receive veterinary costs up to the purchase price. Length of time for guarantee of no congenital or hereditary disease: 30 days.

Kennel/Breeder Regulations

Licensing & Inspections: License required (commercial kennel, kennel, private kennel, pet shop kennel, dealer kennel, rescue network kennel, research kennel: $75 fee for up to 50 dogs, $200 fee for 51-100 dogs, $300 fee for 101-150 dogs, $400 fee for 151-250 dogs, $500 for 251-500 dogs, $750 for more than 500 dogs; Boarding kennel: $100 fee for up to 10 dogs, $150 fee for 11-25 dogs, $250 fee for 26+ dogs; Nonprofit kennel: $25 fee); inspections to be conducted.

Covered Operations: Any person who keeps or operates a kennel. Kennels shall be classified by type and the fee for the license shall be determined by kennel type, the number of dogs housed, kept, harbored, boarded, sheltered, sold, given away or transferred in or by the kennel. Kennel types: kennel, private kennel, pet shop kennel, dealer kennel, rescue network kennel, research kennel, boarding kennel, non-profit kennel, commercial kennel.

Agency Charged with Oversight: Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement.

Coverage Information: Sanitation, humane care.

More Information
In addition to the Liberty Bell, Pennsylvania's tourist industry banks heavily on the draw of the quaint lifestyle of the large Amish and Mennonite communities housed mainly in Lancaster County. While the Keystone State touts itself as the home of "Virtue, Liberty, and Independence," there is little hope of independence for the thousands of dogs living in the state's many puppy mills. Like other states that are home to a large number of USDA licensed commercial breeders, Pennsylvania has its fair share of unlicensed breeders—and both types dot the landscape. Farmers by tradition, many rural Lancaster area residents breed puppies as a side "crop" to make some extra money. Others breed puppies as their main business, and operations may be family wide—with several members raising their own "puppy crop" on their property. In 2008, Pennsylvania lawmakers passed legislation to amend Pennsylvania’s Dog Law to require that puppy mills comply with basic humane requirements in the care of the dogs kept in their facilities. Gov. Ed Rendell signed the legislation in October after a long campaign that generated national media attention. It was enacted to address the deplorable conditions present in Pennsylvania’s numerous commercial dog-breeding operations, including filthy stacked wire cages where breeding dogs may spend their entire lives, total lack of exercise for the dogs, and inadequate or no veterinary care. The Act addresses these problems by, among other things, creating new standards for cage size, eliminating wire flooring which damages dogs’ feet, mandating exercise opportunities for the dogs, and requiring regular veterinary care. Raids of puppy mills 2008 — including one in late September that was reputedly the largest in state history — had shown the critical need for stronger regulation of less-than-reputable kennels. Pennsylvania has been tarnished with the reputation of being one of the worst puppy mill states in the nation. The new law is expected to have a tremendous positive impact on the lives of tens of thousands of dogs in Pennsylvania.