Title 3, AGRICULTURE

The department shall have authority to regulate the keeping and handling of domestic animals to exclude or contain dangerous transmissible diseases and hazardous substances and to protect the environment, including the authority to require the establishment of an agricultural bio…

The department shall have authority to impose requirements and methods for the identification of domestic animals owned, kept, possessed or transported within this Commonwealth. The department shall authorize and record the adoption and exclusive use of unique identification mark…

(a) General authority.--A domestic animal owner may adopt a brand, tattoo or other form of identification with which to identify domestic animals owned by such person through the procedure set forth in this subchapter. A form of identification recorded in compliance with this sub…

(a) Issuance.--If a form of identification is recorded, the department shall furnish its owner with two certified copies of the record of the form of identification. Upon receipt of written evidence of the sale, assignment or transfer of a form of identification, the department s…

In all suits at law or in equity or in any criminal proceedings in which the title to domestic animals is an issue, the certified copies recorded pursuant to section 2313 (relating to certified copies) shall be prima facie evidence of the ownership of the domestic animal by the p…

Disputes in custody or ownership of domestic animals that bear brands, tattoos or other forms of identification shall be investigated on request by the sheriff of the county where the domestic animals are located. The sheriff may call upon the services of a licensed veterinarian …

Any form of identification recorded pursuant to this subchapter shall be the property of the person causing such record to be made and shall be subject to sale, assignment, transfer, devise and descent as personal property. Instruments of writing evidencing the sale, assignment o…

(a) Unauthorized brands.--It shall be unlawful for a person to use any brand for the branding of domestic animals unless the brand has been recorded pursuant to this subchapter or unless the use of a brand or the branding procedure is authorized under any other provision of this …

An owner of a form of identification of record shall pay the department a fee of $5 on January 1 of every fifth year from the year in which the form of identification was recorded with the department as that owner's property. This fee may be changed by the department through regu…

(a) Specific dangerous transmissible diseases.--The following transmissible diseases are dangerous transmissible diseases within the meaning of this chapter: (1) Actinomycosis, an infectious disease of cattle and man caused by Actinomyces bovis. (2) African horse sickness, an inf…

If a neoplastic disease, metabolic disease or heritable disease is determined by the department to pose a threat to domestic animal health or to the economic well-being of the domestic animal industries, then the department may establish regulations addressing any discovery, prev…

(a) Interstate and intrastate movement of domestic animals.--The department may establish identification and minimum health standards for the importation or the intrastate movement of domestic animals in this Commonwealth and may establish procedures for certification of the heal…

(a) General authority.--The department shall have the authority and the duty to protect the food supply of domestic animals in order to prevent the transmission of diseases and substances hazardous to human health or domestic animal health. (b) Carcasses used for animal feed.--No…

(a) Authority.--The department shall have the authority to regulate the manufacture, sale or administration of any biological product intended for diagnostic, preventive or therapeutic purposes with domestic animals. The department may establish regulations to control the product…

The department shall have the authority to establish standards of sanitation for the operation and maintenance of any facility, conveyance, equipment, building or other means of housing, containing or transporting domestic animals. Sanitation standards shall be established to min…

(a) General authority.--The department shall have the authority to regularly monitor the domestic animal population of this Commonwealth to determine the prevalence, incidence and location of transmissible diseases or contamination by hazardous substances. (b) Duty to report.--It…

In the performance of the duties required by this chapter, the department may at any time enter any premises or stop and detain any vehicle or conveyance. If entry shall be refused or delayed by any person, the department's employee or agent may, upon oath or affirmation, declare…

(a) Power to establish and enforce.--Whenever a dangerous transmissible disease or contamination by hazardous substances exists anywhere within or outside of this Commonwealth, or whenever it is deemed advisable to test or treat any domestic animal upon the reasonable suspicion t…

The department shall have the authority to condemn and seize or cause to be destroyed any quarantined domestic animal, domestic animal product, conveyance or other quarantined article that has been determined by the department as having been exposed to a dangerous transmissible d…

(a) In general.--Whenever a condemned domestic animal, domestic animal product or other condemned property is slaughtered or destroyed by order of the department to eradicate or prevent the spread of dangerous transmissible disease or contamination by a hazardous substance, the d…

(a) Generally.--If a domestic animal, domestic animal product or other property has not been condemned under authority of this chapter, the department shall have the discretion to pay to the owner of any domestic animal or other property a sum which shall not exceed 33% of the ap…

(a) Generally.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, indemnification under section 2331 (relating to indemnification) and depopulation incentive under section 2332 (relating to depopulation incentive) shall be paid only for domestic animals. (b) Avian influenza.--Notwithst…

On or before 12 months from the effective date of this chapter, the department shall submit to the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee of the Senate and the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives a report on the feasibility of establishing an …

On or before 12 months from the effective date of this chapter, the department shall submit to the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee of the Senate and the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives a report regarding the feasibility of paying a …

The department may require a dealer, agent or person that offers a domestic animal, commercial feed or pet food for sale to the public to provide a posted notice on the premises with information on a dangerous transmissible disease. (May 8, 2024, P.L.359, No.15, eff. imd.) 2024 A…

The department shall have authority to regulate the activities, facilities and equipment of domestic animal or dead domestic animal dealers, agents and haulers for the purpose of assuring the sanitary handling of dead domestic animals and the sanitary handling, marketing and exch…

(a) Requirement.--No person shall engage in or carry on the business of a dealer or hauler of domestic animals or of dead domestic animals or act as an agent for a dealer or hauler, unless such person is duly licensed by the department. With respect to dealers of dogs, the requir…

(a) General rule.--Except as provided in subsection (b), a domestic animal or dead domestic animal dealer or hauler who applies for or holds a dealer's or hauler's license may designate any person to act as an agent on behalf of that dealer or hauler. The designation shall be mad…

An applicant for a license under this subchapter shall sign the license application, and such signature shall serve to affirm that the information contained in the application is true and correct. An application and the information contained therein for licensure under this chapt…

The fee for a domestic animal or dead domestic animal dealer's or hauler's license is $50. If a person is a dealer of dogs and is licensed under the act of December 7, 1982 (P.L.784, No.225), known as the Dog Law, there shall be no fee for licensure under this section. The fee fo…

A license issued under this subchapter shall expire at the end of the calendar year for which it was issued, except that licensure shall be continued, pending renewal or denial by the department if the renewal application is received by the department no later than December 1 of …

Any person licensed under this subchapter and conducting business under such a license shall post a copy of the license furnished by the department in or at the place of business of the licensee. The license shall be posted and exposed for viewing by those persons conducting the …

The department may, after due notice and an opportunity for a hearing, deny, suspend, revoke or modify a license issued under this subchapter if the department finds that the applicant or licensee has violated any provision of this chapter or its related regulations or finds the …

Every dealer, agent and hauler shall keep such accounts, records and memoranda as are determined by the department to be sufficient to identify all living or dead domestic animals handled and their origin and disposition to fully and clearly disclose all transactions involved in …

The department shall have the authority and the duty to cause the sanitary and safe disposal of dead domestic animals, domestic animal products and domestic animal parts, tissues, excrement and other wastes to prevent the spread of transmissible diseases or dangerous transmissibl…

(a) Requirements.--The following requirements shall be met regarding the disposal of the bodies of dead domestic animals: (1) Persons owning or possessing domestic animals that they know to have died of dangerous transmissible disease shall report the occurrence of the disease to…

Animal waste known or suspected to have been exposed to a dangerous transmissible disease or hazardous substance shall be disposed of in accordance with regulations attendant to this chapter.

Any person who purchases or receives for disposal a dead domestic animal, domestic animal part or potentially infectious animal waste shall be deemed to be in the business of dead domestic animal disposal and shall be licensed by the department to engage in and conduct such activ…

(a) Applications and fees.--Any person intending to operate a dead domestic animal disposal business within this Commonwealth shall, prior to the commencement of business, file an application with the department for the issuance of a dead domestic animal disposal business license…

(a) Inspections.--As a precondition to the issuance of a license under this subchapter and as a continuing condition of such licensure, the department shall inspect an applicant's or licensee's dead domestic animal disposal plants, facilities, equipment or vehicles for compliance…

An application or license under this subchapter may be denied, suspended or revoked if the department determines that any of the conditions of licensure set forth in section 2356 (relating to conditions of licensure) have been violated or if the department determines that a defic…

The department shall have authority to regulate the destruction, slaughter or processing of domestic animals in order to assure the proper treatment of domestic animals and the safety and quality of food of domestic animal origin. The department may: (1) Establish standards for t…

(a) Humane methods required.-- (1) Humane methods shall be used in the handling of domestic animals for slaughter and in the actual bleeding and slaughter of domestic animals. (2) The use of a manually operated hammer, sledge or poleax by slaughterers, packers or stockyard operat…

Any person who feeds garbage to domestic animals shall be deemed to be engaged in the garbage feeding business. It shall be the duty of any such person to obtain a license from the department as a precondition to operating a garbage feeding business within this Commonwealth and t…

Any person intending to operate a garbage feeding business or plant within this Commonwealth shall, prior to the commencement of operation, file an application with the department for the issuance of a garbage feeding business license. The application shall be made on a form prov…

The department shall issue a license under this subchapter when all of the following are met: (1) Approval of the application. (2) Receipt of the appropriate license fee, if any is required. (3) Inspection of the premises designated on the application as the place of business. (4…