Lawton, OK Animal Ordinances: Pet Store Rules (2026)

1 folds pet shops into the same Breeding/Advertising/Transfer framework created for individual breeders in Section 5-1-106, but requires shops to hold a Commercial Advertising/Transfer permit in lieu of a standard BAT permit, issued by the animal welfare division for a fee set in the city's fee schedule. Before any sale, the shop and the consumer must jointly complete and sign a pet-shop advertising/transfer form supplied by the animal welfare division, documenting the buyer, the animal, the breeder, and the vaccination and licensing status of the animal.

A shop can only stock dogs and cats obtained from USDA-licensed breeders, from breeders who hold a Lawton BAT permit for transfers occurring inside city limits, or from breeders located elsewhere in Oklahoma, and every animal must arrive with a current health certificate and vaccination record as required by Section 5-1-106(F); Oklahoma-based sellers' health certificates must come from an Oklahoma-licensed veterinarian. At the point of sale, the shop must hand the buyer a copy of the animal's vaccination record and health certificate. Shops that voluntarily take in dogs or cats from the public may only do so if the animal already carries an altered "A" license; unaltered surrenders must be redirected to the city shelter or a rescue group instead.

The Commercial Advertising/Transfer permit caps a shop at selling, trading or transferring fifty dogs or cats per permit per year, though the animal welfare division may grant up to three additional permits in the same calendar year if the shop has met every requirement and turned in complete sales documentation, and every permit holder is subject to inspection by an animal welfare officer during normal business hours.