Dog training services and facilities: requirements.

Existing law establishes procedures, as administered by the State Department of Public Health, for the care and maintenance of pets boarded at a pet boarding facility, including, but not limited to, sanitation, provision of enrichment for the pet, health of the pet, and safety. Existing law similarly regulates the sale of dogs by pet breeders. This bill would establish parallel requirements for dog trainers, dog training facilities, and dog training facility operators, as defined. The bill would require a dog trainer to disclose in writing certain information to a purchaser of dog training services, including whether the trainer is licensed or certified by an animal training organization. The bill would require a trainer to maintain a written record on the health, status, and disposition of each dog trained at the training facility for a period of at least one year after the completion of training, and would specify various unlawful acts, such as failing to maintain facilities where the dogs are kept or trained in a sanitary condition and failing to wash hands before and after handling an infectious or contagious dog. A violation of those provisions would subject the trainer to civil fines, prohibition from engaging in the business of dog training, or both, as specified. The bill would impose requirements on a dog training facility operator related to the condition of the facility, including, but not limited to, ensuring that the interior building surfaces, including walls and floors, are constructed in a manner that permits them to be readily cleaned and sanitized, and maintaining an area for isolating sick dogs from healthy dogs. The bill would also require the facility operator to adhere to specified animal care requirements and to provide purchasers written information regarding the daily operations of the facility. The bill would authorize an animal control officer, humane officer, or peace officer who detects a violation of these provisions to issue a notice to correct to the dog training facility operator, specifying each violation and the required corrective action. A violation would constitute an infraction, punishable by a fine not to exceed $250 for the first violation and by a fine not to exceed $1,000 for each subsequent violation, except that the bill would make a violation of the same provision within 5 years an infraction on the 2nd violation, and a misdemeanor on the 3rd or subsequent violation. The bill would provide that a dog training facility operator that causes or allows harm or injury, to a dog, or allows a dog to be subject to an unreasonable risk of harm or injury is guilty of a misdemeanor. By creating new crimes, and by increasing duties of local enforcement officers, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. 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 with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.