New Hampshire Revised Statutes 437:8 – Health Certificates for Dogs, Cats, and Ferrets
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I. For purposes of this chapter, anofficial health certificatemeans a certificate signed by a licensed veterinarian, containing the name and address of the entity transferring ownership of the dog, cat, or ferret, the age, gender, breed, microchip number, tattoo number, ear tag number, or physical description of the dog, cat, or ferret, and the certification of the veterinarian that the dog, cat, or ferret is free from evidence of communicable diseases or internal or external parasites. A list of all vaccines and medication administered to the dog, cat, or ferret shall be included on or attached to the certificate.
II. The original of the official health certificate accompanying the dog, cat, or ferret offered for transfer by a licensee shall be kept on the premises where dogs, cats, and ferrets are displayed, and made available for inspection by the department, local officials, or a member of the public upon request up to one year after the animal has left the facility. The public shall be informed of their right to inspect the health certificate for each dog, cat, or ferret by a sign prominently displayed in the area where dogs, cats, or ferrets are displayed. Upon transfer of a dog, cat, or ferret, that animal’s health certificate shall be given to the transferee in addition to any other documents which are customarily delivered to the transferee. The transferee may accept a dog, cat, or ferret that has a noncontagious illness, or feline leukemia virus or feline immunodeficiency virus, which has caused it to fail its examination by a licensed veterinarian for an official health certificate. The transferee shall sign a waiver that indicates the transferee has knowledge of such dog, cat, or ferret’s noncontagious medical condition and then submit such waiver to the licensee who shall send a copy to the state veterinarian.
III. No person, firm, corporation, or other entity shall ship or bring into the state of New Hampshire, to offer for transfer in the state of New Hampshire, any cat, dog, or ferret less than 8 weeks of age. No person, firm, corporation, or other entity shall offer for transfer any cat, dog, or ferret less than 8 weeks of age.
IV. Once a dog, cat, or ferret intended for transfer has entered the state, it shall be held at least 48 hours at a facility licensed under N.H. Rev. Stat. Chapter 437 or at a facility operated by a licensed veterinarian separated from other animals on the premises before being offered for transfer.
V. Animal shelter facilities, as defined in N.H. Rev. Stat. § 437:1, I, are exempt from the requirements of this section relative to transferring dogs, cats, and ferrets except that:
(a) All dogs, cats, or ferrets transferred out of an animal shelter facility shall have a form of positive identification, including, but not limited to a tattoo, collar, microchip, ear tag, or any other permanent form of identification approved by the commissioner.
(b) All dogs, cats, or ferrets 3 months of age or older shall be vaccinated against rabies in accordance with N.H. Rev. Stat. § 436:100 before transfer, if proof of rabies vaccination is not available.
(c) All animal shelter facilities shall have on premises a microchip scanner and shall maintain a file of recognized pet retrieval agencies, including but not limited to national tattoo or microchip registries.
(d) Where an owner is not known, all animal shelter facilities shall inspect for tattoos, ear tags, or other permanent forms of positive identification and shall scan for a microchip upon admission of an unclaimed or abandoned animal as defined in N.H. Rev. Stat. § 437:18, IV and prior to transferring ownership of an unclaimed or abandoned animal. Registered owners or agents shall be contacted as soon as possible, not to exceed 72 hours, and alerted that the animal has been taken in and is available to be reclaimed.
(e) If listed owners or agents cannot be located or refuse to reclaim possession of the animal, every effort shall be made to contact the secondary owner listed by microchip registries as soon as possible, not to exceed 72 hours.
(f) No animal shelter shall transfer any dog, cat, or ferret that is received from outside of the state without an official health certificate and until the quarantine requirements in N.H. Rev. Stat. § 437:8, IV have been met.
VI. No dog, cat, or ferret shall be offered for transfer by a licensee or by any individual without first being protected against infectious diseases using a vaccine approved by the state veterinarian. No dog, cat, or ferret shall be offered for transfer by a licensee or by any individual unless accompanied by an official health certificate issued by a licensed veterinarian. No transfer shall occur unless the transferred animal is accompanied by a health certificate issued within the prior 14 days. The certificate shall be in triplicate, one copy of which shall be retained by the signing veterinarian, one copy of which shall be for the licensee’s records, and one copy of which shall be given to the transferee upon transfer as provided in paragraph III. If an official health certificate is produced, it shall be prima facie evidence of transfer. The signing veterinarian shall provide a copy of the health certificate to the department of agriculture, markets, and food upon request.
II. The original of the official health certificate accompanying the dog, cat, or ferret offered for transfer by a licensee shall be kept on the premises where dogs, cats, and ferrets are displayed, and made available for inspection by the department, local officials, or a member of the public upon request up to one year after the animal has left the facility. The public shall be informed of their right to inspect the health certificate for each dog, cat, or ferret by a sign prominently displayed in the area where dogs, cats, or ferrets are displayed. Upon transfer of a dog, cat, or ferret, that animal’s health certificate shall be given to the transferee in addition to any other documents which are customarily delivered to the transferee. The transferee may accept a dog, cat, or ferret that has a noncontagious illness, or feline leukemia virus or feline immunodeficiency virus, which has caused it to fail its examination by a licensed veterinarian for an official health certificate. The transferee shall sign a waiver that indicates the transferee has knowledge of such dog, cat, or ferret’s noncontagious medical condition and then submit such waiver to the licensee who shall send a copy to the state veterinarian.
Terms Used In New Hampshire Revised Statutes 437:8
- Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- person: may extend and be applied to bodies corporate and politic as well as to individuals. See New Hampshire Revised Statutes 21:9
- state: when applied to different parts of the United States, may extend to and include the District of Columbia and the several territories, so called; and the words "United States" shall include said district and territories. See New Hampshire Revised Statutes 21:4
III. No person, firm, corporation, or other entity shall ship or bring into the state of New Hampshire, to offer for transfer in the state of New Hampshire, any cat, dog, or ferret less than 8 weeks of age. No person, firm, corporation, or other entity shall offer for transfer any cat, dog, or ferret less than 8 weeks of age.
IV. Once a dog, cat, or ferret intended for transfer has entered the state, it shall be held at least 48 hours at a facility licensed under N.H. Rev. Stat. Chapter 437 or at a facility operated by a licensed veterinarian separated from other animals on the premises before being offered for transfer.
V. Animal shelter facilities, as defined in N.H. Rev. Stat. § 437:1, I, are exempt from the requirements of this section relative to transferring dogs, cats, and ferrets except that:
(a) All dogs, cats, or ferrets transferred out of an animal shelter facility shall have a form of positive identification, including, but not limited to a tattoo, collar, microchip, ear tag, or any other permanent form of identification approved by the commissioner.
(b) All dogs, cats, or ferrets 3 months of age or older shall be vaccinated against rabies in accordance with N.H. Rev. Stat. § 436:100 before transfer, if proof of rabies vaccination is not available.
(c) All animal shelter facilities shall have on premises a microchip scanner and shall maintain a file of recognized pet retrieval agencies, including but not limited to national tattoo or microchip registries.
(d) Where an owner is not known, all animal shelter facilities shall inspect for tattoos, ear tags, or other permanent forms of positive identification and shall scan for a microchip upon admission of an unclaimed or abandoned animal as defined in N.H. Rev. Stat. § 437:18, IV and prior to transferring ownership of an unclaimed or abandoned animal. Registered owners or agents shall be contacted as soon as possible, not to exceed 72 hours, and alerted that the animal has been taken in and is available to be reclaimed.
(e) If listed owners or agents cannot be located or refuse to reclaim possession of the animal, every effort shall be made to contact the secondary owner listed by microchip registries as soon as possible, not to exceed 72 hours.
(f) No animal shelter shall transfer any dog, cat, or ferret that is received from outside of the state without an official health certificate and until the quarantine requirements in N.H. Rev. Stat. § 437:8, IV have been met.
VI. No dog, cat, or ferret shall be offered for transfer by a licensee or by any individual without first being protected against infectious diseases using a vaccine approved by the state veterinarian. No dog, cat, or ferret shall be offered for transfer by a licensee or by any individual unless accompanied by an official health certificate issued by a licensed veterinarian. No transfer shall occur unless the transferred animal is accompanied by a health certificate issued within the prior 14 days. The certificate shall be in triplicate, one copy of which shall be retained by the signing veterinarian, one copy of which shall be for the licensee’s records, and one copy of which shall be given to the transferee upon transfer as provided in paragraph III. If an official health certificate is produced, it shall be prima facie evidence of transfer. The signing veterinarian shall provide a copy of the health certificate to the department of agriculture, markets, and food upon request.