St. Joseph County, IN Animal Ordinances: Pet Store Rules (2026)

60(B) requires a pet shop permit from the animal control agency before anyone can operate a pet shop in the county, with the annual cost set in the schedule of fines and fees. At the point of sale, the permit holder must give the buyer a written statement covering the sale date, the buyer's and permit holder's contact information, the permit number, the animal's species, breed, description, age and sex, its vaccination and parasite-medication history with the administering veterinarian's name, and a health guarantee of at least one week, with a recommendation the buyer get the animal examined by a licensed veterinarian within 48 hours.

The permit holder must keep a copy of that statement for 12 months and give the animal control agency a duplicate if the buyer lives in the county, and must separately give the buyer a written statement of the licensing and registration requirements that apply to the purchase. Buyers get a 48-hour right to return an animal diagnosed with a pre-existing condition such as parvovirus, distemper or bronchitis, triggering a full refund of the purchase price plus any veterinary fees the buyer incurred to diagnose it.

60(B)(5) bars a permitted pet shop from selling, trading, bartering or otherwise receiving compensation for a dog or cat at all, unless that dog or cat is being placed for adoption through the animal control agency or an animal welfare organization, effectively converting retail dog and cat sales into an adoption-only placement model. 02, and must hold every other state and federal permit the business needs.