Section 21.67.11. Dog day care.

       67.11(1) Definition.

“Dog day care” means a facility licensed as a commercial kennel or a boarding kennel and designed and operated with the intention that a dog admitted to the facility is allowed, in compliance with this rule, to mingle and interact with other dogs in one or more playgroups operating in the facility. 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. A kennel that operates as a dog day care shall not provide overnight boarding or other kennel activities unless, during the time that the day care operation is closed, the kennel is operated in a manner consistent with applicable kennel rules including, but not limited to, paragraph 67.2(1)“k” that restricts the commingling of dogs.

       67.11(2) Facility requirements. A facility licensed to be a dog day care shall comply with the following facility requirements:

        a.           Buildings shall be of adequate structure and maintained in good repair so as to ensure protection of dogs from injury.

        b.           Shelter shall be provided to allow access to shade from direct sunlight and regress from exposure to rain or snow. Heat, insulation, or bedding adequate to provide comfort shall be provided when the atmospheric temperature is below 50° F or below that temperature to which the particular dogs are acclimated. Indoor facilities shall be provided for all dogs.

        c.           Indoor and outdoor facilities shall at all times be provided with ventilation by means of doors, windows, vents, air conditioning or direct flow of fresh air that is adequate to provide for the good health and comfort of the dogs. Such ventilation shall be environmentally provided to minimize drafts, moisture condensation, odors or stagnant vapors of excreta.

        d.           Ample lighting shall be provided by natural or artificial means or both during sunrise to sunset hours to allow efficient cleaning of the facilities and routine inspection of the facilities and dogs contained therein.

        e.           Ceilings, walls, floors, furniture, and play equipment shall be constructed to lend themselves to efficient cleaning and sanitizing. Such surfaces shall be kept in good repair and maintained so that they are substantially impervious to moisture. Floors and walls to a height of four feet shall have finished surfaces. Upholstered furniture or carpeting shall not be permitted in that portion of the facility to which dogs have access.

        f.            Food supplies and bedding materials shall be stored to adequately protect them from contamination or infestation by vermin or other factors that would render the food or bedding unclean. Separate storage facilities shall be maintained for cleaning and sanitizing equipment and supplies.

        g.           Washrooms, basins or sinks shall be provided within or be readily accessible to each facility for maintaining cleanliness among animal caretakers and sanitizing of food and water utensils.

        h.           Equipment shall be available for removal and disposal of all waste materials from the building to minimize vermin infestation, odors and disease hazards. Drainage systems shall be functional to achieve the above purposes.

        i.            Facilities shall be provided to isolate any dog that becomes sick or injured or that becomes otherwise incompatible with the other dogs.

        j.            Outdoor dog runs and exercise areas shall be of sound construction and kept in good repair so as to safely contain the dogs therein without injury. Floors shall be concrete, gravel or materials which can be regularly cleaned and kept free of waste accumulation. Grass runs and exercise areas are permissible provided adequate ground cover is maintained, holes are kept filled and the ground cover is not allowed to become overgrown.

        k.           Group interaction is permitted for dogs that are compatible with one another.

        l.            The play area for dogs shall provide for a minimum of 75 square feet per dog.

       67.11(3) Sanitation requirements. A facility licensed to be a dog day care shall comply with the following sanitation standards:

        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. Sanitizing shall be done by washing the surfaces with hot water and soap or detergent, followed by the application of a safe and effective disinfectant. Runs and exercise areas having gravel or other nonpermanent surface materials shall be sanitized by periodic removal of soiled materials, application of suitable disinfectants, and replacement with clean surface materials.

        b.           An effective program shall be established for the control of vermin infestation.

       67.11(4) 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 day care owner or a day care employee, shall be admitted into a day care only after the day care has:

       (1)             Subjected the dog to a preentry 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 is not 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.

       (2)             Obtained from the dog’s owner documentation of the medical history of the dog, including the dog’s current vaccination status against distemper and rabies, unless exempted by direct, written recommendation of the owner’s veterinarian or exempted by Iowa Code section 351.33 or 351.42.

       (3)             Determined through documentation or from obvious visual inspection that the dog is at least eight weeks of age.

       (4)             Obtained documentation that the dog has been spayed or neutered, if the dog is over six months of age.

       (5)             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 day care shall separate dogs in the day care into playgroups comprised of compatible dogs. Dogs of incompatible personalities or temperament shall be maintained separately.

        c.           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.

        d.           The day care shall make advance arrangements with a veterinarian to provide emergency veterinary care for dogs at the day care.

        e.           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 day care or the veterinarian designated by the dog’s owner, if a timely examination by that veterinarian is feasible.

        f.            Feeding of dogs and giving of snacks to a dog shall only be provided when the dog receiving the food or snack is outside the vision of the other dogs in the playgroup.

        g.           A day care shall not establish a playgroup composed of more than 15 dogs.

        h.           A day care shall employ sufficient staffing so that there is a minimum of one person assigned to each playgroup. The person supervising a playgroup shall be in continuous visual or auditory contact with the playgroup at all times.

This rule is intended to implement Iowa Code sections 162.6 and 162.9.