(a) A person operating or desiring to operate an animal shelter facility must be registered with the Department of Agriculture, provide evidence of its non-profit status, and affirm that the facility is operated in compliance with the Guidelines for Standards of Care published by the Association of Shelter Veterinarians. After the effective date of this chapter, all shelters have 60 days to register and demonstrate compliance with the referenced standards.
(b) The Department of Agriculture shall furnish a copy of the standards set forth in this chapter with each registration form, and the registrant must acknowledge receipt and agree to comply with them by signing a form provided by the Department of Agriculture.
(c) An applicant must demonstrate that the facility is in compliance with the standards required in this chapter. If the applicant’s facilities do not comply with the standards, the applicant must be advised in writing by the Commissioner of deficiencies and the corrective measures that must be taken before facilities will be in compliance with the standards. The Commissioner may issue a temporary permit to operate the facility for a period of time not to exceed 60 days, to be agreed upon in writing by both parties for the purpose of bringing the facility into compliance. All standards of sanitation must be complied with as set forth in this chapter.