§ 19A-23. Definitions. - North Carolina Statutes

§ 19A‑23.  Definitions.

For the purposes of thisArticle, the following terms, when used in the Article or the rules or ordersmade pursuant thereto, shall be construed respectively to mean:

(1)        "Adequatefeed" means the provision at suitable intervals, not to exceed 24 hours,of a quantity of wholesome foodstuff suitable for the species and age,sufficient to maintain a reasonable level of nutrition in each animal. Suchfoodstuff shall be served in a sanitized receptacle, dish, or container.

(2)        "Adequate water"means a constant access to a supply of clean, fresh, potable water provided ina sanitary manner or provided at suitable intervals for the species and not toexceed 24 hours at any interval.

(3)        "Ambienttemperature" means the temperature surrounding the animal.

(4)        "Animal"means any domestic dog (Canis familiaris), or domestic cat (Felis domestica).

(5)        "Animalshelter" means a facility which is used to house or contain seized, stray,homeless, quarantined, abandoned or unwanted animals and which is undercontract with, owned, operated, or maintained by a county, city, town, or othermunicipality, or by a duly incorporated humane society, animal welfare society,society for the prevention of cruelty to animals, or other nonprofitorganization devoted to the welfare, protection, rehabilitation, or humanetreatment of animals.

(5a)      "Boardingkennel" means a facility or establishment which regularly offers to thepublic the service of boarding dogs or cats or both for a fee. Such a facilityor establishment may, in addition to providing shelter, food and water, offergrooming or other services for dogs and/or cats.

(6)        "Commissioner"means the Commissioner of Agriculture of the State of North Carolina.

(7)        "Dealer"means any person who sells, exchanges, or donates, or offers to sell, exchange,or donate animals to another dealer, pet shop, or research facility; provided,however, that an individual who breeds and raises on his own premises no morethan the offspring of five canine or feline females per year, unless bred andraised specifically for research purposes shall not be considered to be adealer for the purposes of this Article.

(8)        "Director"means the Director of the Animal Welfare Section of the Animal Health Divisionof the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

(9)        "Euthanasia"means the humane destruction of an animal accomplished by a method thatinvolves rapid unconsciousness and immediate death or by a method that involvesanesthesia, produced by an agent which causes painless loss of consciousness,and death during such loss of consciousness.

(10)      "Housingfacility" means any room, building, or area used to contain a primaryenclosure or enclosures.

(11)      "Person"means any individual, partnership, firm, joint‑stock company, corporation,association, trust, estate, or other legal entity.

(12)      "Pet shop"means a person or establishment that acquires for the purposes of resaleanimals bred by others whether as owner, agent, or on consignment, and thatsells, trades or offers to sell or trade such animals to the general public atretail or wholesale.

(13)      "Primaryenclosure" means any structure used to immediately restrict an animal oranimals to a limited amount of space, such as a room, pen, cage compartment orhutch.

(14)      "Public auction"means any place or location where dogs or cats are sold at auction to thehighest bidder regardless of whether such dogs or cats are offered asindividuals, as a group, or by weight.

(15)      "Researchfacility" means any place, laboratory, or institution at which scientifictests, experiments, or investigations involving the use of living animals arecarried out, conducted, or attempted.

(16)      "Sanitize"means to make physically clean and to remove and destroy to a practicalminimum, agents injurious to health. (1977, 2nd Sess., c. 1217, s. 4; 1979, c. 734, s. 1;1987, c. 827, s. 61; 1997‑261, s. 2; 2005‑276, s. 11.5(a).)