Haddonfield has taken steps to prevent the selling of cats and dogs from inhumane puppy and kitten mills.
Commissioners unanimously passed an ordinance on first reading that restricts pet shops to the sale of dogs or cats under certain conditions.
“We’ll be joining the other towns in the county. (The ordinance) basically bans the sale of dogs or cats from puppy or kitten mills from being sold here in town. We don’t have any of those types of pet shops, but I guess in the event that we do have that, this would be (here),” Mayor Jeff Kasko said.
The ordinance states a significant number of puppies and kittens sold at pet shops come from large-scale, commercial breeding facilities where the health and welfare of the animals are not adequately provided for. They are more commonly known as “puppy mills” and “kitten mills.” According to the state Department of Health, restricting the retail sale of puppies and kittens to only those that are sourced from animal shelters and rescue organizations will likely reduce pet overpopulation and the burden on such agencies and financial costs on local taxpayers.
In September 2015, Camden County freeholders initiated a countywide movement by passing a resolution offering enforcement services to any municipality that passed “Norman’s Law,” an ordinance named for a shelter dog adopted by Freeholder Jeffrey Nash. The law prohibits pet stores operating in Camden County from selling animals from breeders operating inhumane puppy mills.
Since then, more than 125 anti-puppy mill ordinances have been enacted nationwide, banning pet stores from getting their animals from commercial breeders.
Haddonfield is the second to last municipality in the county to adopt such an ordinance.
“(We are adopting this ordinance) in an effort to try to discourage the operation of these facilities … The ordinance says we find puppy mills distasteful … it’s a way to sort of put those puppy mills on notice that your product is not welcome here,” Kasko said.
The ordinance gives definitions of some of the language of the ordinance, states restrictions and notes penalties for violation. According to the ordinance, a pet shop may offer for sale only those dogs and cats obtained from or displays in cooperation with either an animal care facility, an animal rescue organization or breed specific hobby breeder. Also, a pet shop shall not offer for sale a dog or cat that is younger than 8 weeks old.
The ordinance will not affect a consumer’s ability to obtain a dog or cat of his or her choice directly from a breed-specific rescue organization or a shelter, or from a hobby breeder where the consumer can see directly the conditions in which the dogs or cats are bred.
The public hearing and second reading of the ordinance will be at the commissioners’ meeting on Jan. 17 in Borough Hall.
In other news:
Commissioners unanimously passed an ordinance on second reading adding three handicap parking spots and one loading zone. Two additional ordinances approved on first reading include establishing the Open Space Trust Fund permanently that was approved by voters in November and repealing chapter 226 of the Borough Code entitled Utilities, Water and Sewer since the borough no longer owns the utilities.
