Current through Register Vol. 47, No. 6, September 18, 2024
(1)
Purpose. The purpose of a dog day care is to allow dogs
participating in the day care to become socialized through interaction in
playgroups with other compatible dogs.
(2)
Subclassification of
license. Dog day cares can operate as a subclassification of a
commercial kennel license or boarding kennel license by complying with rule
21-67.8 (162).
(3)
Approval
based on number of dogs. The department will approve a dog day care
for a maximum number of dogs based on, but not limited to, available space,
available staff, and staff's ability to supervise dogs.
(4)
Facility requirements. A
facility licensed to be a dog day care shall meet the housing facility and
primary enclosure requirements provided for in rule
21-67.3 (162). The dog day care
shall also comply with the following facility requirements:
a. Group interaction is permitted for dogs,
including dogs owned by different owners, that are compatible with one another.
A facility licensed as a dog day care shall comply with all requirements in
this rule during all hours of operation.
b. The play area for dogs shall provide for a
minimum of 50 square feet per dog. Play areas must have a sign placed at the
entry of the play area stating the maximum number of dogs allowed in the play
area at any one time.
c. Each dog
attending a dog day care must have a primary enclosure. When not under direct
supervision, dogs at a dog day care must be housed within a primary enclosure
at all times. Group housing within a primary enclosure is permitted for dogs
from the same household that are compatible with one another.
(5)
Sanitation
requirements. A facility licensed to be a dog day care shall comply
with the cleaning and sanitation standards provided for in rule
21-67.4 (162) and the following
requirements:
a. All areas to which a dog has
access shall be cleaned and sanitized a minimum of once in each 24-hour period
and more frequently as may be necessary to reduce disease hazards and
odors.
b. Used primary enclosures
and food and water receptacles must be cleaned and sanitized before they can be
used to house, feed or water another animal.
(6)
Operations. A facility
licensed to be a dog day care shall comply with the following operational
standards:
a. A dog, including a dog owned by
the dog day care owner or a dog day care employee, shall be admitted into a dog
day care only after the day care has:
(1)
Subjected the dog to a pre-entry screening process that adequately evaluates
the temperament of the dog, the dog's ability to interact with other dogs in a
positive manner, and the dog's ability to interact with humans in a positive
manner. The screening shall include, but not be limited to, obtaining a social
history of the dog from the dog's owner. A written record of the testing shall
be maintained by the facility for the time the dog is enrolled in the day care.
The day care shall not admit any dog into the day care if the dog has a
predisposition to be possessive of either the facility or a person owning or
working in the facility. The day care shall not admit any dog that is known to
have a predisposition of aggression toward other dogs or people.
(2) Obtained from the dog's owner written
documentation of the medical history of the dog, including the dog's current
vaccination status against distemper, parvo and rabies, unless exempted by
direct, written recommendation of the owner's veterinarian or exempted by Iowa
Code section
351.42.
(3) Obtained written documentation that the
dog has been spayed or neutered, if the dog is over six months of
age.
(4) Obtained a written
acknowledgment from the dog's owner that the owner understands the inherent
risk of injury or disease when dogs owned by different people are allowed to
commingle. This written acknowledgment shall be separately signed or initialed
by the dog's owner.
b.
The dog day care shall separate dogs in the dog day care into playgroups
comprised of compatible dogs. Dogs of incompatible personalities or
temperaments shall be maintained separately.
c. The dog day care shall make advance
arrangements in writing with a veterinarian to provide emergency veterinary
care for dogs at the dog day care. This agreement must be updated
annually.
d. A sick, diseased or
injured dog shall be immediately removed from the playgroup and isolated. If
circumstances indicate that immediate veterinary care is required, the dog
shall be taken to a veterinarian or a veterinarian shall be called to examine
the dog. The veterinarian can be either a veterinarian whose services have been
contracted for by the dog day care or the veterinarian designated by the dog's
owner, if a timely examination by that veterinarian is feasible.
e. The feeding of a dog and giving of snacks
to a dog shall only be provided when the dog receiving the food or snack is
contained within a primary enclosure. Treats for the purpose of training or
managing a group of dogs are permissible.
f. A dog day care shall not establish a
playgroup composed of more than 30 dogs.
g. A dog day care shall employ sufficient
staffing so that there is a minimum of one person assigned to each playgroup
with 15 or fewer dogs and two people assigned to each playgroup with 16 to 30
dogs. The person(s) supervising a playgroup must provide direct and immediate
visual supervision at all times.
h.
At all times, a dog day care must ensure that dogs are safe within the dog day
care group.
i. Rest time within a
primary enclosure must be provided for a minimum of two hours per day. Direct
supervision is not required while dogs are housed within primary
enclosures.
