What a Florida pet sale contract is for
Florida has one of the most detailed pet lemon laws in the country. Section 828.29 sets health requirements for every dog and cat offered for sale, requires an official certificate of veterinary inspection, gives buyers the right to a refund, exchange or vet reimbursement if a vet finds the animal was unfit, and requires pet dealers to give buyers a separate Right to Cancel notice in 14-point bold type. A clear contract helps sellers meet those requirements and helps buyers know what they are getting and what to do if the animal is sick.
This template covers the whole sale. It records the animal's details, price, deposit and financing, confirms the health certificate and medical records were given before the sale, provides for disclosed congenital or hereditary conditions, and sets out the buyer's statutory rights, options and deadlines accurately. Optional sections cover an additional health guarantee, registration, spay or neuter, breeding rights and return to the seller. The separate Right to Cancel notice is set in 14-point bold with the statutory wording, followed by a notification form for disclosed disorders and a seller's checklist of the statute's health requirements.
When to use it
Use it when selling a puppy, dog, kitten or cat to the public in Florida: breeders, pet stores and other pet dealers must give the statutory notice and meet the health requirements, and smaller hobby breeders can use the same contract as good practice. Buyers can ask a seller to use it.
It is not for adoptions from county or city animal control or registered nonprofit humane organizations, which are exempt, or for livestock and other species. Sales of service animals or dogs in training may need additional terms.
What's inside
The full list of sections and fields in this template, in the order they appear.
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Parties and the animal
- Seller and buyer
- Species and breed
- Sex
- Color
- Date of birth and age
- Microchip
- Registration
- Sire and dam
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Price and health records
- Price and sales tax
- Deposit
- Balance
- Financing disclosure
- Certificate of veterinary inspection
- Medical records
- Vaccine and treatment table
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Disclosures and buyer rights
- Disclosed congenital or hereditary disorders
- 30-day illness rights
- 1-year hereditary and misrepresentation rights
- Refund
- exchange or reimbursement options
- Notice deadlines
- Limits
- Dealer examination and court
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Guarantees and terms
- Optional additional guarantee
- Registration
- Spay or neuter
- Breeding rights
- Return to seller
- Buyer's vet visit and care
- Florida law
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Statutory notices and checklist
- Right to Cancel notice in 14-point bold
- Notification of disclosed disorder
- Seller's pre-sale checklist
Preview pages
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Page 1 -
Page 2 -
Page 3
How to complete the contract
- Enter the parties. Use the seller's business or legal name and the buyer's full name.
- Describe the animal. Record breed, sex, color, date of birth, microchip and registration.
- Record the price. Enter the price, sales tax, deposit, balance and any financing.
- Attach the health records. Give the buyer the certificate of veterinary inspection and all medical records before the sale.
- Disclose any known disorder. If the vet found a congenital or hereditary disorder, complete Section 4 and the notification.
- Choose the optional terms. Decide on a guarantee, registration, spay or neuter and breeding rights.
- Print the Right to Cancel notice. Keep it in 14-point bold, attach a copy of section 828.29, and have the buyer sign it.
- Run the checklist. Confirm every health requirement was met.
- Sign and keep copies. Both parties sign; the seller keeps the certificate copy for a year.
Example: a completed contract excerpt
A fictional Ocala breeder sells a Labrador Retriever puppy:
Animal: dog, Labrador Retriever, female, yellow, born March 2, 2027, 10 weeks old at sale; microchip 985112000123456; limited registration. Price: $2,200 plus applicable tax; $300 deposit on April 20, 2027, balance on May 11, 2027 by cashier's check. Health: certificate of veterinary inspection dated May 4, 2027, with distemper, parvovirus and other required vaccines and deworming within 21 days before sale; copies of the vet's records given before the sale. Additional guarantee: 50 per cent refund if a vet certifies hip dysplasia before age 2, with the buyer keeping the puppy.
The buyer signs the Right to Cancel notice with the statute attached and takes the puppy to their own vet two days later.
Florida rules to know
These are the Florida rules this contract is built around.
- Health requirements (section 828.29(1) to (4)). Required vaccines and deworming for dogs and cats with timing rules, a veterinary examination within 30 days before sale, fecal tests, heartworm tests for dogs over 6 months, feline leukemia tests for cats, and a minimum age of 8 weeks.
- Certificate (section 828.29(3)). An official certificate of veterinary inspection with the animal, a copy to the buyer, and a copy kept by the seller for a year.
- Buyer's rights (section 828.29(5)). Refund, exchange or vet reimbursement for illness within 30 days and hereditary disorders or misrepresentation within one year.
- Disclosures (section 828.29(6) and (7)). Financing terms and medical records before the sale; disclosed disorders excluded if the buyer signs a notification.
- Deadlines and disputes (section 828.29(8) to (10)). 7 and 3 business day buyer deadlines, 10 business day dealer deadline, and court action with punitive damages of at least $2,500 at the court's discretion.
- Right to Cancel notice (section 828.29(12)). 14-point bold, separate, signed, with the law attached.
- Rabies (section 828.30). Vaccination requirements for dogs and cats.
Mistakes Florida sellers make
The common problems are selling puppies or kittens younger than 8 weeks, certificates older than 30 days, missing vaccines or deworming, no copy of the medical records before the sale, a Right to Cancel notice in small type or buried in the contract, no copy of the law attached, contract terms that claim to waive the buyer's statutory rights, and vague descriptions of breed or health. Using the checklist and the separate notice avoids each of them.
Frequently asked questions
What is Florida's pet lemon law?
Section 828.29 of the Florida Statutes. If a vet certifies within 30 days of a sale from a pet dealer that a dog or cat was unfit because of illness, contagious disease or parasites, or within one year that it has a congenital or hereditary disorder, or if its breed, sex or health was misrepresented, the buyer can return it for a refund, exchange it, or keep it and be reimbursed for reasonable vet costs.
Who counts as a pet dealer in Florida?
Anyone, including a breeder selling directly to the public, who sells more than three litters or 30 dogs or cats a year, whichever is greater. County and city animal control agencies and registered nonprofit humane organizations are exempt.
What is the Right to Cancel notice in Florida?
A notice that a pet dealer must give the buyer at the time of sale, printed in 14-point boldface type, separate from the contract, signed by the buyer, with a copy of section 828.29 attached. Its wording is set out in the statute, and this template reproduces it.
How long does a buyer have to notify a Florida pet dealer?
Within 7 business days after receiving the vet's determination that the animal is unfit, and the written certification must be presented within 3 business days of receiving it. The dealer must refund or exchange within 10 business days after receiving the signed certification.
How old must a puppy or kitten be to be sold in Florida?
At least 8 weeks old. It must also have had a veterinary examination within 30 days before the sale and the required vaccines and deworming, recorded on an official certificate of veterinary inspection given to the buyer.
