Title 4, Animals

The laws of this state relating to violations and investigations of livestock brands shall be enforced and carried out by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and any agriculture law enforcement agent of the state. Added by Laws 1965, c. 400, § 1, eff. July 1, 1965. Amended…

This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Commercial Pet Breeders and Animal Shelter Licensing Act" and shall be administered by the State Board of Agriculture. Added by Laws 2012, c. 302, § 1, eff. July 1, 2012. Amended by Laws 2013, c. 289, § 1.

An animal shelter operator and commercial pet breeder shall prominently display a copy of the animal shelter license or commercial pet breeder license at the facility of the animal shelter or commercial pet breeder. A commercial pet breeder shall include the commercial pet breede…

A. An animal shelter operator and commercial pet breeder shall maintain a separate health record for each animal in the facility of the animal shelter operator and commercial breeder documenting the healthcare of the animal. B. The health record shall include: 1. The breed, sex, …

A. After notice and opportunity for a hearing in accordance with the Administrative Procedures Act, if the State Board of Agriculture finds any person in violation of the Commercial Pet Breeders and Animal Shelter Licensing Act or any rule promulgated or order issued pursuant the…

The State Board of Agriculture shall maintain and post on its website the directory of animal shelters and commercial pet breeders licensed pursuant to the Commercial Pet Breeders and Animal Shelter Licensing Act. The Board shall post on its website the directory of animal shelte…

A. The Commercial Pet Breeders and Animal Shelter Licensing Act shall not affect the applicability of any other law, rule, order, ordinance, or other legal requirement of the federal government, this state, or a political subdivision of this state. B. The Commercial Pet Breeders …

A. There is hereby created in the State Treasury a revolving fund for the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry to be designated the Commercial Pet Breeders and Animal Shelter Assistance Revolving Fund. All monies accruing to the credit of the Commercial Pet Bree…

As used in the Commercial Pet Breeders and Animal Shelter Licensing Act: 1. "Adult animal" means an intact female animal twelve (12) months of age or older; 2. "Animal" means a dog or a cat; 3. "Animal shelter" means any nongovernmental facility that maintains ten or more dogs an…

A. The State Board of Agriculture shall enforce and administer the provisions of the Commercial Pet Breeders and Animal Shelter Licensing Act. B. The Board shall adopt the rules necessary to enforce and administer the Commercial Pet Breeders and Animal Shelter Licensing Act, incl…

A. A person shall not act, offer to act, or hold himself or herself out as a commercial pet breeder or operate an animal shelter in this state unless the person holds a license obtained pursuant to the Commercial Pet Breeders and Animal Shelter Licensing Act for each facility tha…

A. The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry may contract with a local veterinarian licensed by the state, other state agency or any other qualified person to conduct or assist in an initial prelicense inspection and annual inspections. B. The Department shall ar…

A. The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry shall issue an animal shelter or commercial pet breeder license to each applicant who: 1. Meets the requirements of the Commercial Pet Breeders and Animal Shelter Licensing Act; 2. Applies to the Department on the form…

The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry may deny a license, or renewal thereof, or revoke a license of any applicant, animal shelter operator or commercial pet breeder who fails to meet the standards of animal care or fails to follow the application process ado…

A. An animal shelter operator or commercial pet breeder who is not in violation of the Commercial Pet Breeders and Animal Shelter Licensing Act or any rule adopted under the Commercial Pet Breeders and Animal Shelter Licensing Act may renew the license of the person by: 1. Submit…

An animal shelter operator or commercial pet breeder shall notify the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry in writing not later than ten (10) days after the date any change occurs in the address, name, management, substantial control, or ownership of the busines…

The owner or keeper of any registered male animals who collect a fee for the service of same, shall upon request of the owner of any registered female of the same breed which has been bred to such registered male animal, and the fee therefor paid, furnish to such owner a breeding…

Refusal to comply with the provisions of section one hereof shall be a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than Fifty Dollars ($50.00). Added by Laws 1915, c. 40, § 2.

In all cases wherein any shipper of livestock has contracted with any person, firm or corporation for the use of feeding pens or impounding pens in stockyards in the State of Oklahoma wherein said lessee keeps livestock for the purpose of disposing of the same to packing plants o…

Any person, firm or corporation who refuses to permit the lessee of pens, as provided in Section 1 hereof, to furnish their own feed and feed the same to the livestock of such lessees while impounded in pens belonging to lessors, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and punished by …

Any person who is the driver of any truck, automobile or other vehicle containing any livestock, domestic fowls or ratite or any slaughtered livestock, slaughtered domestic fowls or ratite or the butchered portions of any of which he is not the owner and which is upon or being dr…

As used in this act, (a) "Institution" means any school or college of medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, veterinary medicine or agriculture, medical diagnostic laboratory, hospital, or other educational or scientific establishment having to do with the investigation of or instruction…

An institution requiring for the effective carrying on of its scientific or educational activities the use of live dogs and cats may apply to the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry for a license to obtain animals from the establishment maintained and operated …

A license shall expire annually on June 30, but may be renewed annually from year to year on application to the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry, and on compliance with the conditions required with respect to the original issuance of the license. Added by La…

A. Except as otherwise provided by municipal ordinance, it shall be the duty of the pound supervisor to deliver from among the available impounded animals on the demand of an institution possessing a license, such number of animals as the institution may demand and be reasonably …

The licensed institution shall provide for the transportation of dogs from the pound, and may use them only in the conduct of their scientific or educational activities. Added by Laws 1951, p. 10, § 5.

An institution shall at its own expense return to appropriate dog pound any dog delivered to it which subsequently is identified and claimed by its owner; provided, however, that no institution shall be liable to the owner for any injury or illness or subsequent death of any such…

The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry, after notice and a reasonable opportunity to defend, may revoke the license granted an institution (1) if the institution has violated any provision of this act or any rule or regulation promulgated by the Oklahoma Depar…

Nothing in this act shall be construed to affect the right of an institution to obtain dogs from sources other than dog pounds. Added by Laws 1951, p. 10, § 8.

A. The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry shall have the power to adopt such rules and regulations, not inconsistent with the laws of Oklahoma, as it may deem necessary to carry into effect the provisions of this act. The Secretary of Agriculture shall have th…

This act shall be so interpreted and construed as to effect its general purpose to make available to qualified institutions for the purpose of scientific investigation, experiment or instruction unclaimed and unredeemed animals impounded in dog pounds. Added by Laws 1951, p. 10, …

It shall be a misdemeanor for: (a) Any person or institution to violate any of the provisions of this act or any rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, or (b) Any person to fail willfully to execute any duty imposed on him by this act. Added by Laws 1951, p. 10, § 11.

If any provision of this act or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of the act which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisio…

A. It shall be lawful for a person to kill any animal of the family canidae or the family felidae found chasing livestock off the premises of the owner of the animal if the person is the owner or occupant of the property on which the animal is chasing the livestock or if the pers…

The owner or owners of any dog shall be liable for damages to the full amount of any damages sustained when his dog, without provocation, bites or injures any person while such person is in or on a place where he has a lawful right to be. Added by Laws 1947, p. 32, § 1. Amended b…

For the purpose of Sections 42.1 through 42.3 of this title and Section 1 of this act a person shall be considered to be lawfully upon the private property of the owner of a dog when he or she is on the property in the performance of any duty imposed upon the person by the laws o…

Provided that this act shall not apply to rural areas of this state or to any cities or towns that do not have city or village United States mail delivery service. Provided, nothing herein shall be construed as diminishing any right or liability for injury by dog bites now existi…

A. It is unlawful for the owner of any dog that previously has: 1. When unprovoked inflicted bites on any person or severely injured any person either on public or private property; or 2. When unprovoked created an imminent threat of injury or death to any person, to permit such …

The board of county commissioners of any county with a population of two hundred thousand (200,000) or more according to the last Federal Decennial Census may regulate or prohibit the running at large of dogs within said county, and cause such dogs as may be running at large to b…

As used in Section 44 et seq. of this title: 1. "Potentially dangerous dog" means any dog that: a. when unprovoked inflicts bites on a human either on public or private property, or b. when unprovoked attacks a dog which results in the death of said dog either on public or privat…

A. It is unlawful for an owner to have a dangerous dog in the state without certificate of registration issued under this section. This section shall not apply to dogs used by law enforcement officials for police work. B. The animal control authority of the city or county in whic…

A. It is unlawful for an owner of a dangerous dog to permit the dog to be outside the proper enclosure as defined by Section 44 of this title, unless the dog is muzzled and restrained by a substantial chain or leash and remains under the physical restraint of a responsible person…

A. Any dangerous dog shall be immediately confiscated by an animal control authority if: 1. The dog is not validly registered under Section 45 of this title; 2. The owner does not secure the liability insurance coverage or surety bond required under Section 45 of this title; 3. T…

Sections 1 through 11 of this act shall be known and may be cited as the "Dog and Cat Sterilization Act". Added by Laws 1986, c. 204, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 1986.

As used in the Dog and Cat Sterilization Act: 1. "Neuter" means to render a male dog or cat unable to reproduce; 2. "New owner" or "owner" means a person legally competent to enter into a contract acquiring a dog or cat from a releasing agency; 3. "Releasing agency" means any pou…

Failure to comply with the provisions of the Dog and Cat Sterilization Act shall constitute either a public or private nuisance. Any person may maintain a civil action to enjoin the continuance of said private nuisance. The public nuisance may also be abated by any public body or…

No dog or cat may be released for adoption from a releasing agency unless said animal has been surgically spayed or neutered; or unless the adopting party signs an agreement to have the animal sterilized, and deposits funds with the releasing agency to ensure that the adopted ani…

The funds deposited with the releasing agency shall be refunded to the adopting party upon the adopting party's presentation of a written statement signed by a licensed veterinarian that the adopted animal has been spayed or neutered. However, no refunds shall be made unless said…

Releasing agencies may adopt any additional rules to implement the Dog and Cat Sterilization Act, provided said rules do not conflict with the provisions or purpose of the Dog and Cat Sterilization Act to require the spaying and neutering of all dogs and cats adopted from releasi…

Upon presentation of a written report from a licensed veterinarian stating that the life or health of an adopted animal may be jeopardized by surgery, the releasing agency shall grant a thirty-day extension of the period within which the spay or neuter surgery would otherwise be …