You are to obtain the permit within 10 days of acquiring 7 or more animals or before July 1st of each year. The application requirements include the description of the kind and number of animals you intend to keep on your premises as well as where the animals are to be kept. According to the Code of D.C., no animal hobby permit will be issued to you unless you've obtained the necessary animal licenses as required by law. Also, you won't be issued an animal hobby permit if you intend to keep the animals for commercial purposes.
As an animal hobby permit holder, you're required to provide your pets with adequate care. You must not allow objectionable odors or noises to disturb the comfort of any neighbor. Furthermore, you must not allow any of your pets to commit a nuisance on public space or property owned by others. Failure to comply with these rules may result in your animal hobby permit being revoked by the Mayor.
Dog Laws in D.C.
According to the D.C. Municipal Regulations for Animal Control, you must not keep a dog that so barks as to disturb the quiet of any neighborhood or person. No dog is permitted to be at large without a collar or tag in the District. You must not permit your dog to be in any public space in the District unless the dog is firmly secured by a leash not exceeding four feet in length. Additionally, the leash is required to be held by a person capable of managing the dog.
D.C. has a pooper-scooper law requiring all dog owners to immediately remove dog excrement from any curb, gutter, alley, or street. An owner of a seeing-eye dog is not subject to this law. All dogs 3 months of age or older in the District are required to be vaccinated against rabies annually by a licensed vet. You must not separate a puppy from its mother until the puppy is at least 6 weeks of age. Selling, offering, or giving away a puppy under 6 weeks of age is prohibited in D.C.
Dogs are allowed in outdoor dining areas within the District, according to the District Code. However, food establishments are authorized to restrict types of dogs based on a dog's size or temperament.
You must not leave a dog alone in a vehicle in such a way as to endanger the canine's health or safety. The District of Columbia has "dangerous dog" and "potentially dangerous dog" laws. As per the District Code, a "dangerous dog" means any dog that without provocation causes a serious injury to a person or domestic animal. The term "dangerous dog," according to the District Code, does not apply to dogs used by law enforcement officers.
On the other hand, a "potentially dangerous dog" means any dog that, without provocation, chases or menaces a person or domestic animal aggressively. Or any dog that, without provocation, causes an injury to a person or domestic animal that is less severe than a serious injury. A "potentially dangerous dog" also means any dog that menacingly approaches, without provocation, any person or domestic animal as if to attack, or has exhibited a propensity to attack without being provoked.
A dog can also be deemed "potentially dangerous" if it is running at large and has been impounded by an animal control officer 3 or more times in the District within any 12 months. The Mayor has the authority to investigate and decide as to whether a dog is potentially dangerous or dangerous. If your dog is declared potentially dangerous or dangerous by the Mayor, you must comply with all the dangerous dog or potentially dangerous dog registration requirements and responsibilities.
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