MORE NH Laws!!! Boarding & Grooming licenses for your ke

Honey Pot Hounds · Post by **Honey Pot Hounds** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 6:32 pm

PERMISSION TO CROSSPOST GRANTED

Dear fellow dog lover,
On January 25th, 2006 at 2 PM there is going to be a hearing in which Senator Sheila Roberge is going to try to pass a bill that will seriously change the way you run your business. This law will require anyone who grooms or boards dogs to pay a YEARLY LICENSING FEE of $50.00 and face INSPECTIONS TWICE A YEAR. This will pertain to ANYONE grooming or boarding one dog a year or two hundred. In your home or in your kennel. The inspection section of the bill allows the Agricultural Department to designate HUMANE SOCIETIES, and/or nongovernmental organizations (NGO's) to do inspections. Read PETA!
If there are enough concerned dog people who attend this hearing and sign against it (you do not HAVE to speak unless you want to) we can push back this legislation for another year or more. PLEASE join me in keeping our grooming shops and kennels just that, OURS.
Please email for more information. I have pasted the bill below. I have been stunned by the general lack of dogfolk outrage to this proposed bill so we really need help and this means YOU. It appears as if everyone is waiting for "us" to take care of the problem...well, there really is no "us." There is "just me" and I hope you will help!
Best regards,

Cindy Williams
Amherst, NH
http://www.HoneyPotHounds.com

The hearing for SB 350 - "AN ACT relative to boarding kennels and relative to dog grooming" will be on January 25, 2006 at 2:00 p.m. in Room 102 of the Legislative Office Building.

COMMITTEE: EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND ADMINISTRATION
Contact information for the Senate Executive Departments and Administration Committee is available at:
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/ns/bill ... mmcode=S06

D.O.G.S. opposes this bill. Some of our concerns are -

The burden this would put on people who do grooming in their homes. The same concerns would apply to people who board an occasional dog or cat as a favor for friend or people who board dogs while training them for hunting.

The inspection section includes a provision which allows the Agriculture Department to designate humane societies, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), to do inspections. New Hampshire citizens should not be put in the position of being forced to allow representatives from NGOs in their home or facilities. For example, we have all read of cases of PETA members going overboard.

This bill is unnecessary. The number of complaints do not justify the increased bureaucracy and state expenditures. Any customer complaints would still have to be settled in civil court.

Please try to make the hearing. If you can't, please contact the Senate Executive Departments and Administration Committee members in support of this bill. Also, you can contact your local legislator and ask them to "sign in opposed" of SB 350-FN.

To find the names of your local legislators, go to:
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/ns/whosmyleg/

SB 350-FN - AS INTRODUCED

SENATE BILL 350-FN

AN ACT relative to boarding kennels and relative to dog grooming.

SPONSORS: Sen. Roberge, Dist 9; Rep. Marshall Quandt, Rock 13; Rep. B. Richardson, Ches 5; Rep. N. Johnson, Straf 3; Rep. Villeneuve, Hills 18

COMMITTEE: Executive Departments and Administration

ANALYSIS

This bill establishes licensure for animal boarding establishments and for pet grooming facilities by the department of agriculture, markets, and food. This bill establishes license fees and renewal fees which shall be deposited into the general fund. The bill further provides for inspections of such facilities. The bill grants rulemaking authority to the commissioner of the department of agriculture, markets, and food for the purposes of the bill.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

06-2012

01/10

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Six

AN ACT relative to boarding kennels and relative to dog grooming.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 New Chapters; Animal Boarding Facilities; Pet Grooming Facilities. Amend RSA by inserting after chapter 437-A the following new chapters:

CHAPTER 437-B

ANIMAL BOARDING FACILITIES

437-B:1 License Required. No person, firm, corporation, or other entity shall engage in the business of boarding domestic animals, including those commonly used as household pets, unless the premises on which they are housed, harbored, or groomed are duly licensed and inspected by the department of agriculture, markets, and food.

437-B:2 Definitions. In this chapter:

I. "Commercial animal boarding facility" means a facility, including the building and the immediate surrounding area, which is used to house or contain animals which are owned by the members of the general public, for a fee.

II. "Commissioner" means the commissioner of the department of agriculture, markets, and food.

III. "Department" means the department of agriculture, markets, and food.

IV. "Domestic animals" means equines, dogs, cats, exotic birds, and other common household pets.

437-B:3 Licenses; Fees.

I. An application accompanied by a fee of $50 shall be filed annually on forms furnished by the department. A license shall be issued for a commercial animal boarding facility if, upon inspection, the department finds that the premises, cages, equipment, and facilities meet the required standards for safety, health, and sanitation and that their use will not subject the domestic animals to inhumane treatment. Licenses shall be conspicuously displayed on the licensed premises by the licensee.

II. Licenses shall expire annually on June 30 and shall be renewed upon application to the department if accompanied by the renewal fee of $50.

III. After notice and hearing, licenses may be suspended or revoked by the department if it determines that the conditions under which the license was issued are not being maintained. The department shall investigate complaints within a reasonable time after receiving written notification of a violation of this chapter.

IV. All license fees shall be paid to the state treasurer for deposit into the general fund.

437-B:4 Rulemaking. The department shall adopt rules, pursuant to RSA 541-A, relative to:

I. Application and renewal procedures.

II. General health and sanitation standards for licensees.

III. Form and content of all forms required by this chapter.

IV. Procedures for the suspension or revocation of a license.

437-B:5 Licensees to Furnish Information. Licensees shall furnish the department with information relating to their boarding of domestic animals and the maintenance of their premises for those purposes, as required by the department.

437-B:6 Inspections. Inspections of all commercial animal boarding facilities shall be made at reasonable times and at least once every 6 months. An employee or designee of the department, including any animal control officer and including any authorized agent of any humane society or Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals incorporated in the state of New Hampshire and acting under the authority of and direction of the department, shall conduct the investigations.

437-B:7 Hearings; Notice. No license shall be suspended or revoked until a hearing is held before the commissioner or a designee. A licensee shall receive written notice of the hearing at least 10 days before the hearing. The notice shall be sent by registered mail and shall set forth all the charges against the licensee and the date, time, and place of the hearing. Decisions of the commissioner shall be subject to rehearings and appeals pursuant to RSA 541.

437-B:8 Medical Treatment; Drugs. No person shall administer medical treatment or controlled drugs to any domestic animal in the care, possession, or control of any licensee under this chapter, except a veterinarian or a person under the direction and supervision of a veterinarian.

437-B:9 Exemption. This chapter shall not apply to veterinarians or veterinary hospitals or clinics.

437-B:10 Prohibition. No licensee shall treat inhumanely any domestic animal in the licensee's care, possession, or control.

437-B:11 Penalty. Notwithstanding the provisions of title LXII, any person, firm, corporation, or other entity violating this chapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be fined not less than $100 for the first violation, $200 for the second violation, and $500 for each succeeding violation. In addition, the department may require that all domestic animals located on the premises of a licensee whose license is suspended or revoked shall be relocated to a safe and sanitary place approved by the department within 3 working days of the suspension or revocation. Any penalty imposed under this section shall be in addition to any other penalty provided by other law.

CHAPTER 437-C

PET GROOMING FACILITIES

437-C:1 License Required. No person, firm, corporation, or other entity shall engage in the business of pet grooming of dogs and cats unless the premises on which they are groomed are duly licensed and inspected by the department of agriculture, markets, and food.

437-C:2 Definitions. In this chapter:

I. "Commercial pet grooming facility" means a facility, including the building and the immediate surrounding area, which is used to groom dogs and cats which are owned by the members of the general public, for a fee. "Commercial pet grooming facility" may also be a mobile establishment.

II. "Commissioner" means the commissioner of agriculture, markets, and food.

III. "Department" means the department of agriculture, markets, and food.

437-C:3 Licenses; Fees.

I. An application accompanied by a fee of $50 shall be filed annually on forms furnished by the department. A license shall be issued for a commercial pet grooming facility if, upon inspection, the department finds that the premises, cages, equipment, and facilities meet the required standards for safety, health, and sanitation and that their use will not subject the domestic animals to inhumane treatment. Licenses shall be conspicuously displayed on the licensed premises by the licensee.

II. Licenses shall expire annually on June 30 and shall be renewed upon application to the department if accompanied by the renewal fee of $50.

III. After notice and hearing, licenses may be suspended or revoked by the department if it determines that the conditions under which the license was issued are not being maintained. The department shall investigate complaints within a reasonable time after receiving written notification of a violation of this chapter.

IV. All license fees shall be paid to the state treasurer for deposit into the general fund.

437-C:4 Rulemaking. The department shall adopt rules, pursuant to RSA 541-A, relative to:

I. Application and renewal procedures.

II. General health and sanitation standards for licensees.

III. Form and content of all forms required by this chapter.

IV. Procedures for the suspension or revocation of a license.

437-C:5 Licensees to Furnish Information. Licensees shall furnish the department with information relating to their grooming of dogs and cats and the maintenance of their premises for those purposes, as required by the department.

437-C:6 Inspections. Inspections of all commercial pet grooming facilities shall be made at reasonable times and at least once every 6 months. An employee or designee of the department, including any animal control officer and including any authorized agent of any humane society or Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals incorporated in the state of New Hampshire and acting under the authority of and direction of the department, shall conduct the investigations.

437-C:7 Hearings; Notice. No license shall be suspended or revoked until a hearing is held before the commissioner or a designee. A licensee shall receive written notice of the hearing at least 10 days before the hearing. The notice shall be sent by registered mail and shall set forth all the charges against the licensee and the date, time, and place of the hearing. Decisions of the commissioner shall be subject to rehearings and appeals pursuant to RSA 541.

437-C:8 Medical Treatment; Drugs. No person shall administer medical treatment or controlled drugs to any dog or cat in the care, possession, or control of any licensee under this chapter, except a veterinarian or a person under the direction and supervision of a veterinarian.

437-C:9 Exemption. This chapter shall not apply to veterinarians or veterinary hospitals or clinics.

437-C:10 Prohibition. No licensee shall treat inhumanely any domestic animal in the licensee's care, possession, or control.

437-C:11 Penalty. Notwithstanding the provisions of title LXII, any person, firm, corporation, or other entity violating this chapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be fined not less than $100 for the first violation, $200 for the second violation, and $500 for each succeeding violation.

2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect January 1, 2007.

LBAO

06-2012

12/1/05

SB 350-FN - FISCAL NOTE

AN ACT relative to boarding kennels and relative to dog grooming.

FISCAL IMPACT:

The Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food states this bill will increase state general fund revenue by $19,500 in FY 2007 and $39,000 in each year thereafter. State expenditures will increase by $65,230 in FY 2007 and $130,461 each year thereafter. There will be no fiscal impact on county and local revenue or expenditures.

METHODOLOGY:

The Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food assumed the following:

* 120 kennels and 60 groomers would be subject to licensure in New Hampshire.

* An average of 3 complaints per month or 36 complaints per year would be received from these 180 facilities.

* Based on information for 2002-2003, 5% of adults in New Hampshire own at least one horse and one third of the horse owners board horses away from home. Based on 700,000 adults in New Hampshire, there would be approximately 12,000 horse owners. If each facility boards 20 horses then up to 600 facilities could be subject to inspection and licensure each year.

* At least one additional full-time employee, labor grade 14, would be required to perform the following tasks: an average inspection would take about two hours, complaint investigations would require 4 hours and each license processed would require approximately 15 minutes. The hourly rate for salary and benefits is approximately $19 per hour.

* Travel costs, which include travel time and gas for the typical visit would average about $15.

* Each facility will be visited three times per year; two to inspect and one to approve the license.

* The budget for FY 2007 reflects only one-half a years activity since this bill is effective on January 1, 2007.

LBAO

06-2012

12/1/05

Based on these assumptions, the Department estimated the following expenditures and revenue:

FY 2007 FY 2008

Revenue from License Fees

(780 Facilities x $50 ) $19,500 $ 39,000

Expenditures:

In-State Travel

(780 facilities x 3 visits each = 2,340 visits x $15/ visit) 17,550 35,100

Salary and Benefits for the Inspector @ $19 per hour

Licensure and Inspection visits (780 x 3 x 2 = 4,680 hours

x $19 / hour ) 44,460 88,920

License / paperwork processing (780 x 15 minutes = 195 hours

@ $19 / hour) 1,852 3,705

36 Complaints per year @ 4 hours per complaint

x $19 1,368 2,736

Total $65,230 $130,461

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Even if you can't attend the hearings, you can call or email your local legislators. After politely explaining your views on a bill, ask them to "sign in" either in favor or opposed to the bill you've discussed.

To find the names of your local legislators, go to:
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/ns/whosmyleg/

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Dog Owners of the Granite State
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crewchf · Post by **crewchf** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 7:23 am

This let someone else handle it,,,, Is Going To Be The DEATH of this Great Country Of OURS!!! And YOU Can Take That To The BANK!!!!

Rich Piacentine

Honey Pot Hounds · Post by **Honey Pot Hounds** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 8:38 am

You are sure right about that! I must have sent out two hundred emails yesterday and so far only ONE person to wrote back. That is ridiculous. I especially targeted the dogshow community as we tend to do a lot of grooming and boarding on the side. I don't understand why people who will drive two days for a show won't take off a couple of hours to protect their rights. Especially with PAWS coming down the pike.
Believe me I don't want to go to the hearing either and if I am the only one there it's probably not going to make much of an impact. I'm not some loud, overly confident speaker

. If no-one else shows up and the bill passes than all I can say is that I know I tried and those guys will all get what they deserve.

I am truly upset by the lack of response on the dog peoples part. The legislators are going to have a cakewalk passing AR bills in NH with these folks all asleep at the wheel

. If you can come and maybe bring some friends to sign against the bill it would certainly help. I was hoping to get 50 or more folks to show up but so far NONE. I will be reading a short speech at the hearing and I have two legislators considering signing against the bill but I need BACKUP.

crewchf · Post by **crewchf** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 9:09 am

Cindy, Donna and I would be with you up there but being our State (GA) just put back up on our flagpoles the ORIGINAL Confederat Flag,, don't think we'd be a welcome to speak... Good Luck!! Just to let ya know if we had a mess like this going on down here, I'd bet 1 out of 50,, no 1 out of 100 would show up to help fight this.. Everbodies too busy paying for their $200.000.00 homes and 2 new cars and new boats and yada,yada,yada!!!

Rich Piacentine

Honey Pot Hounds · Post by **Honey Pot Hounds** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 9:55 pm

Hey, if anyone wants to meet me and talk Beagles than come on over on Jan 25th in Concord NH and sign in against this bill

Supposidley there are quite a few groomers and horse people coming...and also there are people on the other side coming to speak too!

Honey Pot Hounds · Post by **Honey Pot Hounds** » Sun Jan 29, 2006 9:12 pm

Just an update...there were probably 50 of us at the hearing and we were promised ALL KINDS of ammendments!!!! GO to oppose any bills you think are bad for your dogs!!!!
We

FREAKED THEM OUT

with our well-dressed
(

you guys missed it!

)
and ready to Get Down to biddness group of Good Looking dawg people!

It ain't totally over but it's sooo much better than if we hadn't come out en masse!