On its way for a hearing before the Assembly Committee on Appropriations

June 21, 2016: The Assembly Committee on Business and Professions passed Senate Bill (SB) 945, to establish minimum standards of care and safety at pet boarding facilities.  The bill was introduced by Senator Bill Monning and provides pet boarding operators with clear guidance about the health and safety standards needed at their facilities.

“SB 945 guarantees a minimum standard of care for all pet boarding facilities in California, as well as establishes consumer protections for patrons,” Senator Monning said.  “To many Californians, their pets are like family members and it may come as a surprise to many pet boarding facility patrons that these facilities currently have no health and safety standards.  I am aware of tragedies at pet boarding facilities in my district and this bill seeks to prevent these tragedies by ensuring that a basic level of care is provided for pets.”

In California, there have been instances where pets were injured or died in a boarding facility, including a recent incident in Monterey where 15 dogs died due to a fire in the facility.

The standards established in SB 945 include:

• Animals must have adequate space in their housing to move about freely;
• Pet enclosures must be in good repair;
• Routine care, preventive care, emergency care, disease control and prevention, along with veterinary treatment of pets be provided; and
• The facility operator must maintain either a fire alarm system that reports to the local fire department or a sprinkler system.

Pet boarding facility operators found in violation of these standards would be guilty of an infraction with a fine of up to $250 for the first violation and up to $1,000 for each subsequent violation.

SB 945 now goes to the Assembly Committee on Appropriations for a hearing.

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Senator Monning was elected in 2012 to represent the 17th Senate District, which includes all of San Luis Obispo and Santa Cruz counties, and portions of Monterey and Santa Clara counties.  Senator Monning previously served in the California State Assembly for two terms.  Prior to being an elected official, the Senator was a professor at the Monterey College of Law and a Professor of International Negotiation and Conflict Resolution at the Monterey Institute of International Studies.