Waterloo, N.Y., Approves Moratorium on Kennels and Pet Breeders

The Waterloo, N.Y., Town Council voted Aug. 27, 2012, in favor of implementing a one-year moratorium on the construction of any new kennels or dog breeding facilities, or the expansion of any existing facilities of the same.

The ban goes into effect 10 days after it is posted and publicized, and once Waterloo files the law with the New York Secretary of State.

The moratorium defines a kennel as “any building or lot on which at least three or more dogs or cats not owned by the property owner are trained or boarded (but not bred or sold) for commercial purposes.”

Waterloo, N.Y., approved a one-year moratorium on the construction of kennels or dog breeding facilities.

• At least three or more dogs or cats are bred or sold for commercial purposes;
• There is found at one time more than three adult dogs and one litter of pups under four months of age;
• There is found at one time more than three adult cats and one litter of kittens under four months of age;
• Any adult female dog or cat is bred more than once in a 12-month period with the intent of selling or giving away said dog’s or cat’s pups or kittens; or
• More than two litters of pups or kittens is sold or given away in any 12-month period.

The town council stated that the intent of the moratorium is to combat the increasing existence of “puppy mills” in the area.

The Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council, a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group, contends there is no correlation between the number of animals in a facility and the quality of care those animals receive. Furthermore, PIJAC emphasizes, a prohibition such as this limits the ability of dog breeders to maintain sufficiently diverse blood lines, resulting in an increase in adverse hereditary conditions.

PIJAC recommends that kennels and breeders impacted by the moratorium continue to contact the Waterloo Town Council to express their opposition for continuation of the law when the moratorium expires.

The Waterloo moratorium uses language that is virtually identical to similar moratoriums considered by other Seneca County towns, such as Romulus and Ovid, the latter of which held a public hearing Aug. 8, 2012, to consider an 18-month moratorium of its own.
    
The Humane Society of the United States offers a step-by-step manual, “A Guide to Using Local Ordinances to Combat Puppy Mills,” on its website. In it, HSUS urges, “If there are massive dog breeding facilities in your county; consider an ordinance that would place a limit on the number of dogs in a breeding facility.”

When asked specifically about the Waterloo ban, PIJAC’s Director of Governmental Affairs Bambi Nicole Osborne responded, “They could extend it, make it permanent; it’s up in the air, and that’s why it is important that people continue to make sure they register their comments.”