To apply for a facility license, submit the appropriate application along with a veterinarian care form, which is to be filled out by a licensed veterinarian during an onsite visit.  Animal breeders and distributors, out-of-state distributors and temporary pet shops do not require a veterinarian care form. Send your application, vet care form (if applicable) and payment to our office at 1320 Research Park Dr., Manhattan, KS 66502.  Once the office receives all information and your payment has cleared, your information will be sent to the area Facilities Inspector. An inspector will contact you to set up an initial inspection appointment. You must pass the initial inspection before you are issued license. When you pass the initial inspection, the inspector will notify the office to send you a license. Licenses are sent by email unless requested otherwise. After you officially become licensed, you will be subject to unannounced inspections according to the Kansas Pet Animal Act (KPAA).

The Kansas Department of Agriculture Animal Facility Inspection (AFI) program licenses and inspects cat and dog breeders, shelters and other pet animal businesses to ensure the health, safety and welfare of pet animals in Kansas in accordance with the Kansas Pet Animal Act.

You can make a written complaint about a licensed or suspected unlicensed Kansas Pet Animal Facility by using our complaint form by clicking "Report a Complaint" option on our website, or by sending an email to kda.afi@ks.gov.

The Kansas Pet Animal Act requires licensing and inspection of all dog and cat breeders who produce, offer or sell three or more litters during the state fiscal year; including pounds and shelters, pet shops, research facilities, distributors, out-of-state distributors, boarding facilities, pet animal group foster homes and animal rescues.

Find the Kansas Pet Animal Act.

Facilities licensed by the Animal Facilities Inspection Program are held to the standards defined by the Kansas Pet Animal Act. Licensees receive regular inspections and are required to have a relationship with a licensed veterinarian that assists in ensuring pets obtained from licensees are healthy and cared for in an appropriate manner.

Visit the Small Animal Program Forms page.

All licenses expire on September 30 of each year.

During an inspection, a state inspector conducts a pre-inspection meeting with the licensee, followed by an inspection of the premises and then an exit interview. The inspection is done with the goal of providing education to the licensee and to ensure the licensee is meeting the statutes and regulation set forth under the Kansas Pet Animal Act.

Routine inspections are no longer announced. Due to recent enactment of legislation, the program is no longer allowed to call ahead to those facilities with good history to save on program expenses. Only new facilities applying for a license will receive notice of an initial inspection.

Yes. Inspections are only conducted with the licensee present.

Under K.A.R. 9-18-2 (d), if the owner or operator of the premises is not routinely available between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., the owner or operator shall designate a representative who will be present while the inspection is conducted and shall notify the commissioner in writing of the name of the designated representative. The designated representative shall be 18 years of age or older. The owner or operator shall notify the commissioner in writing of any new representative who is designated to be present during inspections.

Should you not have a designated representative or be present within 30 minutes of an inspector's arrival, under K.S.A. 47-1721 (d)(1), Failure by the owner of a premises, a licensee or a permittee, or their designated representative, to make a premises available for inspection within 30 minutes of the arrival of the inspector or the inspector’s authorized representative shall be considered a no-contact inspection. Each no-contact inspection shall result in a $200 no-contact fee against the owner of the premises, the licensee or the permittee. The commissioner or the commissioner’s authorized representative shall make a second or subsequent attempt to inspect the premises.

Under K.S.A. 47-1721 (d)(2), If a premises fails an inspection, such owner, licensee or permittee shall be required to pay a $200 reinspection fee for any subsequent inspection. Such payment must be made in advance of the re-inspection, and failure to do so shall result in the revocation of any such licensee’s or permittee’s license or permit. The owner of the premises shall be required to reapply for any licenses or permits that were revoked pursuant to this subsection and shall be required to:

1. Pay the fee for the new permit or license application;
2. pass an initial inspection; and
3. pay any past due fees before the new license or permit can be issued
4. No fee or assessment required pursuant to this section shall be refundable.
5. The commissioner shall remit all moneys received by or for the commissioner under this section to the state treasurer in accordance with the provisions of K.S.A. 75-4215, and amendments thereto. Upon receipt of each such remittance, the state treasurer shall deposit the entire amount in the state treasury to the credit of the animal dealers fee fund, which is hereby created in the state treasury. Moneys in the animal dealers fee fund may be expended only to administer and enforce K.S.A. 47-1701 et seq., and amendments thereto. All expenditures from the animal dealers fee fund shall be made in accordance with appropriation acts upon warrants of the director of accounts and reports issued pursuant to vouchers approved by the Kansas animal health commissioner or the commissioner's designee.

A veterinary care form is required of most licensees and ensures licensees meet the standard of K.S.A. 47-1701 (dd)(1). This statute outlines the requirement of adequate veterinary medical care, which includes a documented on-site visit by a veterinarian on, at minimum, an annual basis.

The Kansas Pet Animal Advisory board is a governor-appointed board responsible for advising the Department of Agriculture on the rules and regulations in the Kansas Pet Animal Act. It is comprised of ten members that represent most license categories. For more information on the board, finding your representative, or to attending a meeting, please contact the AFI office at 785-564-6605.

No. Some states have an inspection program in place to assist in ensuring the health, safety and welfare of the pet animals in their state, but many do not. Kansas has, and continues to be, a model state for protecting pet animals.

K.A.R. 9-7-9 and 9-7-9a state, in part, that dogs and cats shall not be imported into Kansas unless  accompanied by a certificate of health issued by an approved veterinarian, stating:

1. such dogs/cats are free from symptoms of any communicable disease;
2. such dogs/cats have not been exposed to rabies, and
3. such dogs/cats have been vaccinated against rabies with a product licensed by the USDA, and the duration of immunity and method of administration be in accordance with manufacturer’s guidelines. Dogs or cats under three months of age need not be vaccinated against rabies.

Pet foster homes are no longer required to be licensed. Although, under K.A.R. 9-18-28:

1. Rescue networks and animal shelters may utilize pet animal foster homes.
2. Rescue network managers and animal shelter licensees shall require each of their prospective pet animal foster homes to sign a pet animal foster home agreement with the supervising rescue network or animal shelter licensee. The rescue network manager or animal shelter licensee shall state in the agreement that the pet animal foster home is required to comply with all the requirements contained in this regulation.
3. Each rescue network manager and animal shelter licensee shall keep records of all pet animal foster homes utilized by the rescue networks and animal shelter.
4. Each rescue network manager and each animal shelter licensee shall ensure that all pet animal foster homes utilized by the rescue network or animal shelter comply with the Kansas pet animal act and all applicable regulations.

The Animal Facilities Inspection program has multiple inspectors state wide on staff that inspect all of our licensees. They inspect on a performance-based schedule, any time a complaint is filed involving a licensees and in the case of a violation of the Kansas Pet Animal Act.