Kansas Animal Health Department

Kansas Pet Animal Act

The Animal Facilities Inspection Program (AFIP) is comprised of a Director, an Office Assistant IV, a Program Consultant and five Animal Facility Inspectors. The Director and Senior Administrative Assistant are located in Topeka. The Program Consultant and Inspectors work in the field and are based out of their respective homes.

All licensees (and those required to be licensed) are subject to inspection by Department representatives. Dog and cat breeder licenses are based on the number of litters produced, NOT on the number of dogs and cats owned. So, if a breeder has only 2 females but breeds them twice between July 1 and June 30 (and produces at least 3 litters) the breeder requires a license. Similarly, routinely taking in stray animals or rescuing animals requires a license irrespective of the number of animals present on the premise.  There are 11 licensing categories. Please click on AFIP below for a full explanation of licensing requirements.

Sales of dogs, cat, puppies and kittens are based primarily on the number of litters sold, but the statute also addresses the total number of animals sold. Consequently, the sale of an adult animal counts toward the total number of animals that people may sell (i.e., toward the 29 animal limit for a hobby breeder). It also does not matter if the animals sold are purebred. People who sell or trade any puppies, dogs, cats or kittens must comply with the statute.

State license year: July 1 through June 30.

No license is required to:

• (a) Produce and sell only 1 or 2 litters a year.
• (b) Raise and sell only racing greyhounds registered with the National Greyhound Association of Abilene, Kansas.
• (c) Sell only the offspring of breeding stock (other than dogs or cats) that are produced and sold from the premises where you live. This includes, but is not limited to, the offspring of birds, reptiles and small, exotic mammals.
• (d) Sell only fish.

1. Breeder categories: Hobby breeder, animal breeder and retail breeder licenses apply to those people who produce for sale, sell, offer or maintain dogs or cats for sale.
   1. A hobby breeder license is required when:
      1. All or part of 3, 4, or 5 litters, and fewer than 29 dogs, cats, puppies and/or kittens are produced for sale, sold, offered or maintained for sale. "All or part of" for example, would include one puppy received in return for stud services. Sale of this puppy would count as one litter.
   2. An animal breeder license is required when:
      1. All or part of 6 or more litters of dogs or cats (or both) are sold, or offered or maintained for sale, primarily at wholesale (to pet stores and distributors) or
      2. when 30 or more dogs or cats (or both) are sold, or offered or maintained for sale, primarily at wholesale. This means, for example, if an individual sold three litters of Golden Retrievers, to a broker, (for a total of 28 pups) and then sold two adult dogs, an animal breeder license would be required.
   3. Retail breeder license requirements are exactly the same as animal breeder requirements except the majority of the sales will be at retail, i.e., to the final consumer. This includes individuals who sell dogs or cats through classified ads, at breed shows, auctions, etc.
   4. An animal distributor license is required for individuals engaged in the business of buying and selling dogs and cats for resale.
2. Pet Shops: Every pet shop in the state of Kansas must have a license with the Kansas Animal Health Department. Pet shops are:
   1. Any premises's selling animals which were not raised on the premises. This does not include:
      1. animal breeders, retail breeders, hobby breeders or distributors;
      2. pounds and shelters;
      3. any premises selling only the offspring of breeding stock (other than dogs or cats) that are produced and raised on the premises by a person who resides on the premises; or
      4. Premises selling only fish
3. Pounds and Shelters: Each premises acting as a pound and/or animal shelter must obtain a pound and shelter license. Pounds and shelters are defined as:
   1. a facility used to house, contain, impound or harbor any seized stray, homeless, relinquished or abandoned animal, or
   2. a person who acts as an animal rescuer or who collects and cares for unwanted animals or offers them for adoption, or
   3. a facility of an individual or organization maintaining 20 or more dogs or cats, or both, for the purpose of collecting, accumulating, amassing or maintaining the animals or offering the animals for adoption.

Licensed veterinarians are exempt from pound and shelter licensing requirements if the pound and shelter is operated from a veterinary clinic. Even though licensing is not required, veterinarians operating a pound or animal shelter from their clinic must comply with the statutory three day holding period and the requirement that the pound operator attempt to notify the owner of the animal if the owner is known or reasonably ascertainable (K.S.A. 47-1710), euthanasia requirements (K.S.A. 47-1718) and spaying and neutering requirements (K.S.A. 47-1731).

4. Boarding or training kennels: Each premises operating as a kennel must obtain a license to do so. Kennel operator is defined as:
   1. Any person who operates an establishment where four or more dogs or cats, or both, are maintained in any one week for boarding, training or similar purposes for a fee or compensation.

Licensed veterinarians are exempt from kennel operator (boarding) licensing requirements.

5. Research facilities: All research facilities are also required to obtain a license. Research facility is defined as:
   1. Any place, laboratory or institution, where any scientific test, experiment or investigation involving the use of any living animal is carried out, conducted or attempted. Research facilities do not include:
      1. Elementary schools, secondary schools or universities.

Note: Zoning. Individuals wishing to start an animal facility should check local zoning ordinances before doing so. Even if you are granted a state license, local zoning ordinances will control.