Existing law requires a person seeking to bring a dog into this state, or importing a dog into this state, for the purpose of resale or change of ownership to obtain a health certificate with respect to the dog that has been completed by a licensed veterinarian and is dated within 10 days before the date on which the dog is brought into the state. Existing law requires the person to submit the health certificate to the applicable county health department, as specified. Existing law makes it a crime to violate specified provisions of the Food and Agricultural Code related to dogs.
This bill would repeal the above-described requirements, and would instead require a person selling, transporting, or importing a dog into the state for the purpose of resale or change of ownership to obtain, and submit to the Department of Food and Agriculture and the buyer, a health certificate for the dog that has been completed by a licensed veterinarian and is dated no more than 10 days before the date on which the dog is brought into the state, as specified. The bill would require the health certificate to contain specified information. By expanding the scope of a crime by requiring dog health certificate to be submitted to the department, this bill would create a state-mandated local program.
The bill would require the department to develop, maintain, and make available to the public an internet website that contains the information it receives on every health certificate that is submitted, without redaction, and the actual health certificates, and to make each health certificate available to the public as a public record, as specified.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.