|
Brick May Bar Sales Of Dogs And Cats At Pet Shops
By Catherine Snipe
BRICK - The township is considering a law that would ban new pet shops from selling cats and dogs, limiting them to selling only such things as fish and supplies.
Dogs and cats could be sold by breeders, and the local animal shelters and rescue operations could still give and take in cats and dogs, but sales by pet shops would be off limits.
The idea came after representatives of the local shelter, the Jersey Shore Animal Center on Brick Boulevard, spoke at several council meetings during its public session. Breeders, board members and JSAC staff came out each week to urge the council to create an ordinance banning the sale of dogs and cats at pet shops.
The reasons, they argued, are many. During their work at the shelter, those who spoke said they have pet owners come in seeking help after purchasing animals from pet shops. JSAC members talked about "puppy mills," substandard kennels or shops where dogs are over-bred and kept in poor, tightly-packed conditions. It is a practice denounced by the Humane Society of the United States. Arrests have been made for animal cruelty at such so-called "puppy mills."
JSAC board members urged Brick join other municipalities who have outlawed the sale of dogs and cats in pet shops. They said the issue is not just one of protecting animals, but also the pet owners and their families.
After hearing the JSAC concerns publicly over several weeks' meetings, Council President Stephen Acropolis asked for officials to look into the possibility of such an ordinance.
Township attorney Jean Cipriani explored the legalities of the issue, and now the township council is discussing making the proposed law a reality.
In two weeks, a favorable vote could put the law on the books.
If approved, the law would change what a pet shop is licensed to sell. Licenses issued for pet shops would permit the shop to sell pet supplies for all types of animals, including cats and dogs. The license would also permit shops to sell animals other than cats and dogs, such as pet fish, rabbits or lizards. But, the license "shall not permit the pet shop to sell cats and dogs."
The JSAC hoped the council would act quickly, as a new pet shop was about to open in Brick.
The previous ordinance, drafted in 1989, outlines the law for curbing of dogs, and orders them to be kept on leashes, but made no specifications on pet shops.
| 
