Clark County, Nevada

10.04.125– Breeder.

A breeder is a person who owns, harbors, or maintains a dog or cat in Clark County and breeds or allows the breeding of any such animal.

10.04.170– Dealer.

“Dealer” means a person other than an animal shelter as defined by Section 10.04.085(b) and (c) or a rescue organization as defined by Section 10.04.253 who, for compensation or profit, buys, sells, rehomes, breeds, trades, exports or imports animals for resale or transfers to another person, excluding agricultural animals.

10.04.222– Offer for sale.

“Offer for sale” means to make available or advertise any animal for purchase, exchange, barter or auction.

10.04.278– Sold (Sell).

“Sold” or “sell” shall mean for compensation or profit or barter, sells, rehomes, gifts, gives, trades, exports or transfers an animal to another person.

10.08.095– Posting requirement for sterilization requirements, business affiliations, rabies vaccination and animal tagging.

All public parks or facilities that administer rabies vaccinations pursuant to Nevada Administrative Code 441A or which sell animals, products for animals, or services for animals must post in a conspicuous location a sign as directed by the animal control officer notifying customers of the required rabies vaccination, sterilization, and animal tagging provisions of this title. A veterinarian shall also post notices in a conspicuous place in the public area of his clinic or office stating any vaccination, sterilization, and pet identification provisions of this title and stating the names and locations of all pet stores that sell animals that the veterinarian has a business relationship with.

10.08.132– Sterilization.

(a) Subject to the exceptions provided in this chapter, no person shall harbor any cat or dog or ferret or pet rabbit or potbellied pig over four months of age unless spayed or neutered. This spay and neuter restriction shall not apply to dogs or cats kept pursuant to a breeder/show permit.

(b) The spay and neuter requirement set forth in subsection (a) shall not apply to dogs in use by any federal, state, or local law enforcement agency.

(c) The spay and neuter requirement set forth in subsection (a) shall not apply if a licensed veterinarian certifies in writing that a specific dog or cat or ferret or pet rabbit or potbellied pig is temporarily or permanently medically unfit to undergo the required spay or neuter procedure because of a physical condition that would be substantially aggravated by such procedure or would likely cause the animal’s death. If temporary, the certificate shall indicate the period of time anticipated that the unsuitability will last. For an exemption to apply beyond that period, a new certificate must be obtained from a veterinarian. The certification may be transmitted electronically to CCAPS.

(d) The spay and neuter requirement set forth in subsection (a) shall not apply to animals harbored by an animal shelter, rescue organization, or business that keeps animals for sale provided that such organization requires the spaying or neutering of all dogs or cats or ferrets or pet rabbits or potbellied pigs prior to adoption or sale of such animal.

(e) It shall be unlawful to own or possess any kitten (cat or rabbit) or puppy or piglet or kit (ferret) that has been born to a mother cat or rabbit or dog or potbellied pig or ferret not spayed in violation of this chapter, unless adopted from an animal shelter or rescue organization. As used in this section, a “kitten” or “puppy” or “kit” means a cat or rabbit or dog or ferret under the age of four months, as determined by the animal control officer, and “piglet” means a potbellied pig under eight pounds.

10.08.135– Breeder/show permit.

(a) No person shall cause or allow any dog one year of age or older or cat eight months of age or older owned, harbored or kept to breed unless the person has obtained a breeder permit.

(b) To initiate a breeder/show permit, a permit fee shall be paid to Clark County Animal Protection Services (“CCAPS”) at a cost of eight hundred dollars and shall be renewed annually for eight hundred dollars or four hundred dollars when each animal has participated once per year in a show as defined in section 10.04.275. The permit fee includes initial site inspection by CCAPS. The owner must pass the inspection prior to the permit being issued or renewed.

(c) If owner fails site inspection or is found in violation of this chapter, CCAPS will perform a reinspection to ensure compliance, the breeder shall pay a reinspection fee of one hundred dollars. If the owner fails reinspection, the permit shall be denied.

(d) A person with a breeder/show permit is allowed to keep and maintain, in a clean, healthy, and safe environment, not to exceed eight intact or sterilized pet dogs, one year of age or older, or eight intact or sterilized pet cats, eight months of age or older.

(e) Each animal must have a registered microchip identification device, with current owner information, and be up-to-date on rabies vaccination.

(f) A dog breeder cannot breed a female dog until she is eighteen months old and shall only allow a female dog to have one litter per year.

(g) No dog or cat shall be sold or gifted until it is eight weeks of age or until the animal is accustomed to taking food as nourishment other than by nursing, whichever date is later. Additionally, a written sales contract shall be provided to the purchaser or recipient.

(h) Any dog or cat sold or gifted must have a microchip identification device implanted in accordance with section 10.08.070(b), must be current on rabies vaccinations, and must be spayed or neutered unless the purchaser has a breeder/show permit or a temporary show permit or if the animal is exempt from sterilization per section 10.08.132.

(i) Any breeder/show permit holder shall not place an advertisement to sell or offer for sale a dog or cat without the current breeder/show permit number being displayed in all advertising and appearing on the receipt/contract of the animal at the time of sale.

(j) A breeder/show permit shall not be issued to, and shall be revoked from, a person who keeps an animal that has been declared dangerous per chapter 10.16 or its equivalent under the laws of another jurisdiction.

(k) A breeder/show permit shall not be issued to, and shall be revoked from, a person who violates the provisions of chapter 10.32 or section 10.08.135.

(l) All animals covered by an expired breeder/show permit must be spayed or neutered within thirty days of the permit expiration date.

(m) In the event that all intact dogs on the property are under the age of one year or all intact cats on the property are under the age of eight months the owner shall obtain a temporary show dog or temporary show cat permit. The expiration date of a temporary permit shall be six months from the date of issue. No breeding or sale of animals is permitted on a temporary show permit.

(n) Any currently approved breeder/show permit holder selling or offering for sale a dog or cat must comply with the provisions set forth in chapter 10.30 of this title.

(o) No permit shall be issued to an applicant who has outstanding CCAPS fines.

(p) In order to maintain a valid breeder permit, the breeder must keep records for all dogs or cats owned, harbored, or maintained by the breeder and provide the records to CCAPS upon request. Records shall include, at minimum:

(1) A list of all dogs or cats harbored in the previous year, including a valid and unique ID number (such as a rabies tag or microchip) and date of birth.

(2) The method of acquisition (bought, gifted, or birthed on premises) for any animal acquired during the previous year.

(3) The method of disposal of each animal no longer harbored (sold, deceased, given away, etc.).

(4) All inoculations, medications and medical treatments received by the animal while in the possession of breeder in the previous year.

(q) Any person denied a breeder/show permit or who has their breeder/show permit revoked shall have the right to appeal the decision pursuant to chapter 1.14.

(r) Permit fees collected for a breeder/show permit shall be held by the county in a special fund for the purpose of providing services/programs to reduce overpopulation of animals in the community and shelter, including but not limited to, sterilization, microchipping and microchip scanning equipment.

10.08.140– Sale of animals.

(a) No person, except dealers or operators, shall sell or offer for sale a dog or cat without first obtaining a breeder/show permit. All other household pets, except as provided in subsection (b), may only be sold by dealers, operators, or retailers. Dealers, operators and retailers must obtain a business license and must designate all information required by the Nevada Revised Statutes, including where the animal has been purchased. As used herein, sales include any form of remuneration connected to the transfer of ownership or possession of the animal, regardless of connection with or without any other consideration, good or service, including, but not limited to, gratuities, product bundling or rehoming fees.

(b) Notwithstanding any provision in subsection (a), it shall be unlawful for any retailer to sell or offer for sale a dog, cat, rabbit, or potbellied pig. A retailer may provide space to a rescue organization, as defined under chapter 10.04.253, or to an animal shelter, as defined under Chapter 10.04.085, subsection (b), to offer to the public dogs, cats, rabbits, or potbellied pigs for adoption; provided that the retailer shall not have any ownership interest in the animals offered and shall not receive any fee for providing space or for the adoption of any of the animals.

(c) Each sale or offer for sale made in violation of subsections (a), (b) or (e) shall constitute a separate violation, the penalty for which shall, at a minimum, be a fine in the amount of five hundred dollars, and, at maximum, the sale price or offered sale price of the animal. Penalties shall double for second and subsequent violations occurring within twenty-four months of the previous substantiated violation.

(d) Amortization Period. Any existing retailer that is lawfully operating and has all required business licenses on or before December 6, 2022 shall be permitted to continue selling dogs, cats, rabbits, or potbellied pigs for one year from December 6, 2022. Any existing retailer that voluntarily abandons or transfers its business or has its business license suspended or revoked for reasons other than the selling of dogs, cats, rabbits, or potbellied pigs shall lose its nonconforming status.

(e) It shall be unlawful for any person to offer for sale any animal at or on any street, public right-of-way, parkway, median, park, recreation area, outdoor market, booth, flea market, swap meet, roadside stand, temporary site or parking lot regardless of whether such access is authorized by the owner.

(f) Subsection (e) shall not apply to the display or offer for sale of any animal by a rescue organization or animal shelter, or the display of any animal as part of a state or county fair exhibition, or similar exhibitions or educational programs.

10.24.010– Impounding dogs and cats ferrets and pet rabbits and potbellied pigs.

(a) No dog or cat or ferret or pet rabbit or potbellied pig so impounded shall be released if the ownership of the dog or cat or ferret or pet rabbit or potbellied pig is proven within that period of time as specified in this section except where there has been a performance of the following conditions:

(1) If the animal is sterilized, or the owner has obtained a current exemption from sterilization for the animal, the owner shall be able to reclaim it upon the payment of an impound charge of twenty-five dollars for the first confinement, fifty dollars for the second confinement, and one hundred dollars for the third and any subsequent confinement thereafter. Proof of sterilization must be provided if requested by the animal control officer.

(2) If the dog or cat or ferret or pet rabbit or potbellied pig is not sterilized, or the owner has not obtained a current exemption from sterilization for the animal, or the owner fails to provide adequate proof of sterilization to the animal control officer or animal shelter, the owner shall be able to reclaim it upon the sterilization of the animal with payment to the animal shelter for such service and payment of an impound fee of one hundred dollars for the first confinement and two hundred dollars for subsequent confinements.

10.24.100– Release—Vaccination and neutering or spaying.

Adopted animals shall be vaccinated prior to their release, unless the animal is younger than eight weeks of age, in which case the person to whom the animal is released shall receive a voucher to have the animal vaccinated at the appropriate age. Adopted animals shall be spayed or neutered and implanted with a microchip prior to their release.