Lawmakers in Suffolk County, N.Y., have introduced a measure that seeks to ban the retail sale of puppies, unless the animals were obtained from an animal shelter, animal rescue or local breeder. A public hearing on the proposal is set for Tuesday, June 21, 2011.
If approved, pet stores in Suffolk County would only be able to display, sell, deliver, offer for sale or adoption, or give away a dog less than one year old that comes from an animal shelter, an animal rescue organization or a breeder located in Suffolk County who can prove the puppy’s mother is on his or her premises. The proposal defines a “breeder” as “any person who breeds nine or more dogs per year.”
The resolution’s stated purpose is to “combat the problem of puppy mills.”
“Federal regulations on many puppy mill practices exist, but are not consistently enforced due to an insufficient number of inspectors,” lawmakers said in the resolution’s legislative intent.
Puppies bred for sale in so-called “puppy mills” suffer health and behavioral problems, they claim. Meanwhile, “4 to 5 million unwanted dogs die in shelters across America.”
First time offenders would face a civil penalty of $500 per puppy being offer for sale. Subsequent violators would face a $1,000 per puppy penalty.
The Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council opposes the proposed resolution and is calling on the public to speak out against the ban.
“A ban targeting pet stores to protect animals is not rational,” PIJAC stated in an industry alert released today. “Pet stores are already more heavily regulated than any other source of pet animals in the state.”
Furthermore, such a ban would not ensure the adoption of shelter animals, PIJAC claimed.
“Those who choose pet store animals do so for many reasons, including the reality that the pet of their choice may not even be available for adoption,” PIJAC stated.
The Washington, D.C.-based organization recommends that, at the very least, the ban be modified to allow the sale of puppies that come from breeders and distributors who are licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, even if they are located outside of Suffolk County.
“The Legislature claims that ‘the vast majority of puppies purchased at retail pet stores come from puppy mills in the Midwest, South and/or portions of Pennsylvania’ but offers no evidence in support of this statement,” PIJAC argues. “In fact, most puppies sold by pet stores in New York come from USDA-licensed breeders and distributors.”
The Suffolk County Legislature is slated to hear the proposed resolution on June 21 at 2:30 p.m. in Riverhead, N.Y. To view the measure in its entirety, click here.
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