House Bill 539 aims to strengthen regulations surrounding high volume dog breeders in Ohio by implementing three significant changes to existing laws.

Firstly, the bill mandates that inspections of licensed high volume dog breeders occur without prior notice, a shift from the current practice where advance notice is often given. This change is designed to enhance accountability and prevent breeders from hiding violations or euthanizing animals before inspections can take place. Inspections will now be conducted during regular business hours, ensuring that facilities are compliant with state regulations.

Secondly, the definition of a high volume dog breeder will be simplified. Under the current law, a breeder is defined as one who sells a specific number of dogs or puppies annually, which has created loopholes allowing some breeders to evade licensure by staying just below the threshold. The new definition will classify any establishment that maintains six or more breeding dogs and sells them to brokers, pet stores, or the public as a high volume dog breeder. This change aims to close gaps in the law and ensure more breeders are subject to oversight and regulations designed to protect animal welfare.

Lastly, the bill will revise the requirements for when a high volume dog breeder must engage a veterinarian for surgical procedures on dogs or puppies, although specific details on this change were not provided in the transcript.

These amendments reflect a concerted effort by lawmakers to address concerns about the treatment of animals in high volume breeding operations and to ensure that more establishments are held accountable under the law.