Ohio — Commercial Dog Breeder Bond
Ohio’s high-volume-breeder program uses financial security to pay for the care of seized or impounded dogs following a license suspension or revocation. A surety bond is an alternative to the specified insurance evidence. Apply through The Southern Agency with the Ohio Department of Agriculture file, the correct adult-dog count and the chosen security method ready.
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- Recorded state
- Ohio
- Bond type
- Animal Services / Pet Business Bond
- Category
- Professional & occupational licenses
What this bond does
Provide evidence of a surety bond payable to the State of Ohio with the high-volume-breeder license application when using the bond alternative. Revised Code §956.03(A)(6) ties the security to compliance with the chapter and its rules; it is not a blanket bond rule for every pet business.
- Who needs it
- The applicant operating an Ohio high-volume-breeder establishment. That is a defined combination of breeding-dog numbers and sales or puppy activity, not simply a business using “commercial breeder” in its name. Keep the licensed applicant and establishment consistent with the State file.
- Who it protects
- The law provides for State redemption upon suspension or revocation of a high-volume-breeder license to pay maintenance and care for dogs seized or otherwise impounded under the chapter. Do not treat this undertaking as a puppy-health guarantee, a general customer-refund promise, or payment automatically available after any complaint.
Your bond option
This is the option on record for this bond.
- Bond optionPurchase Now (opens in a new tab)Continue to our secure checkout partner, Propeller (opens in a new tab).
The bond amount describes the limit of the bond obligation, not the price. A listed amount does not establish what the requesting party requires. The premium is what you pay and must be confirmed for the actual option. An E&O limit, where listed, is separate errors and omissions insurance.
Sources
- Ohio Revised Code §956.03(A)(6): high-volume-breeder financial security (opens in a new tab)Checked October 22, 2026
- Ohio Revised Code §956.01: adult, breeding-dog and high-volume definitions (opens in a new tab)Checked October 22, 2026
- Ohio Department of Agriculture: High Volume Dog Breeder Application (opens in a new tab)Checked October 22, 2026
Have these ready
- Exact licensed applicant, establishment and Ohio Department of Agriculture high-volume-breeder file.
- Breeding-dog/sales or puppy activity for the classification, and a separate count of all adult dogs twelve months or older for the financial tier.
- Whether the file uses the insurance or surety-bond alternative; State-payable accepted wording and correct $5,000/$10,000/$50,000 tier.
- Financial effective dates and issued evidence for the Department’s separate application instructions.
Questions about this bond
What makes an establishment a high-volume breeder?
Section 956.01 starts with six or more breeding dogs—unspayed adult females primarily used to produce offspring—and at least one trigger: selling five or more adult dogs/puppies in a calendar year to brokers or pet stores; selling forty or more puppies in a calendar year to the public; or maintaining more than forty puppies under four months old at any time in a calendar year, bred and primarily kept from birth on those premises.
Do I count only breeding females for the amount?
No. The financial tiers use adult dogs kept, housed and maintained, and the Code defines an adult as twelve months or older. The breeding-female threshold for high-volume status and the all-adult count for the financial tier answer different questions.
Must a breeder obtain both the specified insurance and this bond?
Section 956.03 describes insurance evidence or, in the alternative, surety-bond evidence for the high-volume-breeder application. Match the method to the actual Department file; do not assume the alternative is an extra universal requirement.
Is the money a general refund fund for puppy buyers?
The verified statutory purpose is State payment for maintenance and care of seized or impounded dogs upon license suspension or revocation under the chapter. It does not promise a refund, healthy puppy, or automatic payment after a customer complaint.
Does this choice show the security’s duration?
No. It shows no duration. Use the Department’s accepted instrument and the actual effective dates rather than assuming a license cycle supplies the purchase term.