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A. License Required. Commercial pet facilities, grooming parlors, and animal welfare facilities shall be licensed pursuant to Chapter 5.01 GHMC.

B. Operation requirements for commercial pet facilities and animal welfare facilities:

1. Adequate food and water must be provided for each species, pursuant to GHMC 6.04.020(A), and proper habitat and medical attention, if needed, shall be provided during normal business hours and when the facilities are not open for business;

2. Food shall be stored in a fashion that prevents contamination or infestation;

3. The facilities shall be maintained and operated in a healthful and sanitary manner, free from disease, infestation, and foul odors;

4. Sick animals shall be isolated from healthy ones in quarters adequately ventilated to prevent contamination of healthy animals;

5. Sick or injured animals shall receive appropriate medical treatment by or under the auspices of a licensed veterinarian. Records shall be maintained reflecting treatment, care, dates of veterinary visits, and the name of the veterinarian and veterinary clinic providing treatment. Sick or injured animals shall not be sold, bartered, or otherwise transferred from a commercial pet facility or animal welfare facility to a new owner until the illness or injury is substantially healed, unless such transfer is to an animal welfare organization that assumed all responsibility for providing the appropriate medical treatment;

6. Cats and dogs shall receive age-appropriate vaccines and anthelmintics. Records of such shall be maintained for each animal and made available to the designated animal control authority and/or the Pierce County Health District, including the name and address of the attending veterinarian, if applicable;

7. A copy of all medical records including, but not limited to, the records described in subsections (B)(5) and (B)(6) of this section shall be provided to new owners at the time the ownership of the animal is transferred, or to the designated animal control authority upon request.

C. Facility and Individual Housing and Habitat Requirements for Commercial Pet Facilities and Animal Welfare Facilities.

1. Indoor and outdoor animal housing facilities shall be in good repair, protect the animals from injury, and shall provide sufficient security to contain the animals while preventing entry by unwanted animals. Also, the habitat shall provide species-specific requirements including, but not limited to, temperature, humidity, and light.

2. Indoor facilities shall:

a. Provide the animal with adequate space for movement and the ability to sit, lie, stand, and stretch without touching the sides or top of the housing;

b. Be heated or cooled to protect the animals from temperatures for which they are not acclimated;

c. Be adequately ventilated;

d. Have interior walls, ceilings, and floors that are sealed and are resistant to absorption of moisture or odors;

e. Have flooring with a surface that can be sanitized and treated to minimize growth of harmful bacteria;

f. Have a waste collection and removal system that facilitates cleaning and permits maintaining the facility in a sanitary condition; and

g. Have available a washroom with a sink for hot and cold running water.

3. Outdoor facilities shall:

a. Provide adequate shelter and protection from adverse weather;

b. Provide sufficient room for adequate exercise and movement; and

c. When no indoor facility is available, outdoor facilities shall also:

d. Have flooring with a surface that can be sanitized and treated to minimize growth of harmful bacteria;

e. Have a waste collection and removal system that facilitates cleaning and permits maintaining the facility in a sanitary condition; and

f. Have available a washroom with a sink for hot and cold running water.

D. Operation and Facility Requirements for Grooming Parlors. Grooming parlors shall:

1. Not board animals;

2. Provide restraining straps for animals to prevent injury while being groomed;

3. Sterilize grooming equipment after each use;

4. Not leave animals unattended when placed before a dryer;

5. Not prescribe or administer treatment or medicine or otherwise engage in veterinary practice as defined in RCW 18.92.010;

6. Not confine more than one animal in the same cage unless so requested by the owner of the animals;

7. Be structurally sound and in good repair, designed to protect the animals from injury, and provide sufficient security to contain the animals while preventing entry by unwanted animals;

8. Have grooming and animal containment areas with walls, ceilings and floors that are sealed and resistant to absorption of moisture and odors; and

9. Be cleaned and sanitized on a regular basis.

E. Inspections. The animal control authority shall inspect existing or proposed commercial pet facilities, animal welfare facilities, and grooming parlors in connection with its licensing investigation and when inspections are necessary to ensure compliance with this title. Such inspections shall be made during regular business hours. (Ord. 1034 § 7, 2006).