relative to pet vendor foster homes, defining pet vendor foster facility, and relative to cruelty to livestock.

The term 'foster home' was renamed to 'pet vendor foster home' to make it more specific and distinguishable from other types of foster arrangements.

A new definition for 'pet vendor foster facility' was added, covering facilities (not just private residences) that house animals for medical or behavioral rehabilitation under a pet vendor's license.

Pet vendors must now report at least annually (and updated as necessary) on all associated foster homes to the department of agriculture, markets, and food to ensure compliance with licensure, animal inventory, and pet limit requirements.

The department of justice is required to develop a form to be distributed to any person charged with cruelty to animals concerning livestock, informing them of their rights (text cuts off but the requirement is clear).

A confidentiality provision was added stating that information in pet vendor foster home listings shall not be subject to public disclosure under RSA 436:6-a and RSA 91-A.

Existing animal cruelty confiscation provisions (RSA 644:8, IV(a)(1) and IV-a(a)) were amended to explicitly exclude livestock from the general rules, directing those cases to a new paragraph IV-b instead.

A new paragraph IV-b was added establishing specific procedures for confiscating livestock in cruelty cases: no confiscation unless the person is charged (except imminent danger to life), the investigating officer must be accompanied by a state veterinarian or designee, and livestock confiscated without a warrant where no charge is filed must be returned within 10 days.

The entity that must be associated with and inspect the foster home changed from 'an animal shelter facility' to 'a pet vendor licensed under RSA 437:3,' fundamentally shifting which type of business can operate a foster home under this definition.

Added clarifying language that a foster home is used to provide 'temporary physical custody and care at such private residence for the pet vendor's animals,' specifying both the temporary nature of the arrangement and that it applies to the pet vendor's own animals.

Added requirement that the veterinarian determining it is in the animal's best interest must be a 'New Hampshire licensed veterinarian,' rather than just any licensed veterinarian.