Senate Bill 598 Summary

• Extends standards of care and registration requirements applicable to commercial dog breeders and brokers to private animal rescue operations, effective July 1, 2013.

• Requires private animal rescue operations to register annually with the board of animal health and pay a $75 annual registration fee, with funds deposited in a new animal rescue operation fund.

• Prohibits local units from adopting or enforcing ordinances that impose more stringent requirements on registered commercial dog breeders, brokers, or animal rescue operations than those established by state statute, and voids any existing ordinances that do so.

• Creates a private right of action allowing persons adversely affected by ordinances violating these restrictions to sue local units for declarative relief, injunctive relief, and actual and consequential damages.

• Applies federal animal care standards (9 CFR 3.1-3.12) and record-keeping requirements to animal rescue operations, including vaccination records, medication records, and five-year record retention.