USDA Inspection Preparation Guide for Dog Breeders

APHIS inspectors review every part of your dog breeding facility. They check your premises, records, animal care practices, veterinary care program, and how you handle your animals. The main areas they examine are:

• Housing and enclosures — Structurally sound, no sharp edges, proper height, waterproof surfaces
• Space — Each dog must have a minimum amount of floor space (calculated by formula)
• Temperature — Must stay between 50°F and 85°F with proper bedding and ventilation
• Ventilation — Enough airflow to reduce odors, ammonia, and moisture
• Lighting — Bright enough for cleaning and inspection, with a regular day/night cycle
• Drainage — Waste and water removed quickly, no standing water in enclosures
• Sanitation — Daily cleaning, biweekly full sanitization
• Veterinary care — Written vet care program, annual exams, vaccinations, parasite control
• Food and water — Fed at least once daily, clean water continuously available
• Records — Acquisition/disposition records, medical records, exercise plan

Each dog must have a minimum amount of floor space in its enclosure. The USDA calculates this using a formula based on the dog's length:

1. Measure the dog from the tip of its nose to the base of its tail (in inches)
2. Add 6 inches to that number
3. Multiply the result by itself (square it)
4. Divide by 144 to get the minimum square feet

The enclosure height must be at least 6 inches higher than the tallest dog's head when standing normally. Each dog in the enclosure must meet the space minimum individually.

Indoor facilities must maintain safe temperatures for dogs at all times:

• Must not drop below 50°F for short-haired breeds, sick, old, young, or weak dogs
• Must not drop below 45°F for more than 4 consecutive hours when dogs are present
• Must not rise above 85°F for more than 4 consecutive hours when dogs are present
• When temperatures fall below 50°F, provide dry bedding, solid resting boards, or other warming methods
• When temperatures reach 85°F or higher, auxiliary ventilation (fans, blowers, or AC) is required

Ventilation must be sufficient to reduce odors, ammonia, drafts, and moisture. For outdoor housing, clean dry bedding is required below 50°F, with additional bedding at 35°F or lower.

• Feces and food waste must be removed from enclosures daily
• Hard surfaces that dogs touch must be spot-cleaned daily
• Full sanitization of enclosures and food/water containers at least every 2 weeks
• Approved sanitization: hot water at 180°F with soap, or appropriate detergent/disinfectant solutions
• Outdoor areas (gravel, sand, grass) must have contaminated material removed as needed
• Trash containers must be leakproof with tightly fitted lids

Every USDA-licensed facility must have an attending veterinarian. The requirements include:

• A written program of veterinary care signed by the vet (APHIS Form 7002A )
• Complete physical exam of each dog at least once every 12 months
• Vaccinations for rabies, parvovirus, distemper, and other contagious diseases
• Parasite testing and treatment (fleas, worms, coccidia, giardia, heartworm) on a vet-approved schedule
• Preventive care: healthy/unmatted coats, trimmed nails, clean eyes, ears, skin, and teeth
• Sick or contagious dogs must be isolated from healthy animals
• Daily observation of all animals
• Emergency, weekend, and holiday veterinary care must be available

• All dogs in the same enclosure must be compatible
• No more than 12 adult dogs in the same enclosure
• Dogs that are vicious or aggressive must be housed separately
• Mothers with litters may not be housed with other adult dogs
• Puppies under 4 months may not be housed with adults (other than their mother)
• Females in heat may not be housed with sexually mature males, except for breeding

For every dog you acquire, sell, or transfer, you must record:

• Name and address of the person you acquired the dog from (and their USDA number if licensed)
• Name and address of the person you sold or gave the dog to
• Date of acquisition and date of disposition
• Official USDA tag number or tattoo assigned to the dog
• Physical description of the dog (breed, sex, color, markings, age)
• Method of disposition (sale, death, euthanasia, donation)

You must also have on file:

• Veterinary care program — APHIS Form 7002A
• Exercise plan — APHIS Form 7013
• Medical records for each dog (exams, vaccinations, treatments)

According to USDA Office of Inspector General audits, the most frequently cited violations are:

1. Veterinary care problems — Untreated dental disease, eye problems, matted coats
2. Sanitation failures — Excessive feces, flies, unclean conditions, contaminated food
3. Enclosure deficiencies — Sharp edges, damaged floors, enclosures in disrepair
4. Water issues — No water provided or dirty water receptacles
5. Missing records — No exercise plan, missing medical records, incomplete logs
6. Space violations — Enclosures that do not meet the minimum floor space
7. Temperature issues — No auxiliary ventilation above 85°F or no bedding below 50°F

APHIS categorizes violations into three levels:

• Direct: Currently having a serious adverse effect on an animal's health (most severe)
• Critical: Could result in serious adverse impacts on animal welfare
• Non-critical: Does not currently have a serious impact (e.g., a clogged exterior drain)

Courtesy Visit (Optional)

Before you apply, APHIS offers an optional courtesy visit. An inspector walks through your facility and provides feedback on your compliance level. This is your chance to learn what needs fixing before it counts. Note: If a serious violation is found during a courtesy visit, it immediately becomes a formal inspection.

Pre-License Inspection

• Happens after you submit your application and pay the fee
• You get up to 3 attempts to pass, all within 60 days
• Inspectors check everything: facility, animal health, records, vet care, sanitation, temperatures
• If you do not pass within 3 tries or 60 days, you forfeit your fee and must wait 6 months to reapply
• You may appeal a failed 3rd inspection

Routine Inspections

• Happen after you are licensed, on an ongoing basis
• Typically unannounced — you will not know when the inspector is coming
• Frequency is based on your compliance history
• Violations are cited with required corrective actions and deadlines
• Repeat or serious violations can lead to fines, suspension, or revocation

Use this checklist to prepare your facility before an inspection:

1. Request a courtesy visit from APHIS before applying — get expert feedback without risk
2. Measure every enclosure and calculate minimum floor space for each dog
3. Install thermometers in each animal area and log daily readings
4. Test ventilation — no strong ammonia smell, no excessive moisture, no drafts on dogs
5. Check lighting — bright enough for cleaning, regular day/night cycle
6. Inspect drainage — water drains quickly, no standing puddles, drains have traps
7. Create a cleaning schedule — daily spot cleaning, biweekly full sanitization with a written log
8. Set up your vet care program — Have Form 7002A signed by your vet
9. Write an exercise plan — Complete Form 7013, approved by your vet
10. Organize records — Acquisition/disposition forms for every animal, going back 3 years
11. Walk your facility as if you were the inspector — Check every enclosure for sharp edges, rust, damage
12. Examine every dog — Look for matted hair, overgrown nails, dental issues, eye discharge, skin problems
13. Check food and water — Clean storage, fresh water available, no contamination
14. Verify outdoor shelters have roof, four walls, floor, wind/rain break, and bedding when cold
15. Separate incompatible dogs — Mothers with litters, puppies under 4 months, females in heat
16. Post emergency vet contact info and have a plan for after-hours care