§ 28a.8. Flooring.
For dogs over 12 weeks of age, the flooring in commercial kennels must meet the following standards:
(1) General requirements of the act.
(i) The floors of all primary enclosures must be impervious to moisture, as required under section 207(h)(9) of the act (3 P. S. § 459-207(h)(9)).
(ii) The flooring must comply with the flooring standards established in section 207(i)(3)(i) of the act, which states ‘‘The floor of the primary enclosure shall be strong enough so that the floor does not sag or bend between the structural supports, shall not be able to be destroyed through digging or chewing by the dogs housed in the primary enclosure, shall not permit the feet of any dog housed in the primary enclosure to pass through any opening, shall not be metal strand whether or not it is coated, shall allow for moderate drainage of fluids and shall not be sloped more than 0.25 inches per foot.’’
(2) Flooring constructed with slats. Section 207(i)(3)(ii) of the act allows floors to be constructed with slats if the floor is in compliance with the general requirements of the act, established in section 207(i)(3)(i), and set forth in paragraph (1) and meets the following conditions:
(i) The floor is flat.
(ii) The floor has spaces between the slats that are no more than 0.5 inch in width.
(iii) The floor has spaces between the slats that run the length or the width of the floor, but not both.
(iv) The floor has slats that are no less than 3.5 inches in width.
(v) All of the slats are level with the slat next to it within a single primary enclosure.
(3) Additional flooring options. Any flooring options that may be approved by the Canine Health Board, under the authority in section 207(i)(3)(iii) of the act, must meet the standards in section 221(f) of the act (3 P. S. § 459-221(f)), and the additional flooring requirements established under subsection (d).
(4) Additional flooring requirements.
(i) Solid flooring is approved and shall be sloped to a drain that is properly maintained, such as being free of debris and in good repair, so that the drain is functioning and capable of rapidly removing waste and water and keeping animals dry.
(ii) Any drain must have a drain cover which is securely fixed and made of a noncorrosive substance.
(iii) Flooring may not be made of a material, that when exposed to a heat source such as the direct rays of the sun, a lamp or radiant heating can rise to temperatures that may cause injury to the skin, feet or pads of a dog.
(iv) The flooring may not splay the feet of a dog, cause or result in damage such as cuts, swelling or ulceration to the pads of a dog’s foot or allow the dog toe or toenail to slip between any openings in the floor thereby causing injury.
(v) Radiant heat flooring, or a floor cooling system, may be utilized to temper the dogs’ primary enclosure, but may not be utilized as the primary heating or cooling mechanism. The temperature of that flooring must be able to be regulated in a manner that assures it will not rise or fall to levels that would cause injury to a dog’s skin feet or pads or cause hypothermia, hyperthermia, heat stress or heat stroke.
(vi) The surface of the flooring must be constructed of a material or in a manner that it will provide the dogs with footing that is not slippery or slick, so that the dog will have traction and may stand, walk and move about without falling, slipping, sliding or causing injury to its legs, hips or back. Utilizing nonslip coating and textures are one means of providing sure footing.
(vii) Flooring must be made of material that is impervious to moisture, capable of being cleaned on a daily basis or as often as necessary as required under the act and § 21.29 (relating to sanitation) and capable of being sanitized in accordance with section 207(h)(14) (3 P.S. § 459-207(h)(14)) of the act.
(viii) Flooring may not be made of or coated with materials that can be chewed and readily ingested, or are toxic to dogs, or both.
Authority The provisions of this § 28a.8 amended under section 902 of the Dog Law (3 P.S. § 459-902).
Source The provisions of this § 28a.8 amended May 4, 2018, effective May 5, 2018, 48 Pa.B. 2623. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (353913) to (353914) and (385865).
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