Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Animal Regulations topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Hubbardston Board of Health adopts Article 10 regulating zoos, petting zoos and animal sanctuaries
Summary
The Town of Hubbardston Board of Health voted unanimously April 22 to add Article 10 to local public-health regulations, creating requirements for zoos, petting zoos and animal sanctuaries and directing staff to add two definitions to the text.
The Town of Hubbardston Board of Health voted unanimously April 22 to adopt Article 10, a new local regulation covering zoos, petting zoos and animal sanctuaries. The board directed staff to add two definitions to the regulation — one spelling out “MDAR” (Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources) and another defining the veterinary inspection/certificate term discussed during the meeting — before the rule is posted to the town website and added to the town’s regulations book.
Board members said the new article is meant to give clear local standards for temporary animal exhibits and for facilities that house animals but do not operate as typical commercial kennels. The regulation, which the board said was sourced from language on mass.gov and MDAR guidance, also will cover certain rescue sanctuaries and petting exhibits that operate for public events.
Board staff told members the final draft they reviewed was drawn from MDAR and Mass.gov materials and included requirements for veterinary health certification, animal handling, and notification procedures. During discussion, members asked that the acronym MDAR be spelled out in the regulation and that the phrase used for medical/veterinary certification be defined so applicants and inspectors will not misinterpret the requirement.
The board’s motion to adopt Article 10, with the two clarifying definitions added, passed by unanimous voice vote. The chair said the adopted text will be integrated into the town’s full regulations book as Article 10 and will be posted on the Board of Health page of the town website. Staff also said the board could note the change publicly and notify known local operators where possible.
The board and staff discussed what the article does not cover: routine kennel licensing and dog-breeding operations for nonpublic activities remain governed by existing kennel-license rules and by animal-control inspections. Members said the regulation is intended for operations open to the public, including petting exhibits and some sanctuaries where animals are shown to visitors.
The board closed the item by instructing staff to add the two definitions (MDAR and the veterinary-certificate term) in the published text and to place the updated article online and in the regulations binder.
