By MICHAEL NUNES
Staff Writer
EAST BRUNSWICK — Weeks after the Township Council voted to revoke the pet shop license of Just Pups, members on the dais voted to move forward with an ordinance prohibiting the sale of dogs and cats.
“It’s historically been dogs that have become the victim of people who feel that they could make a quick buck,” said Councilwoman Denise Contrino, advising her fellow council members to look up information on so-called puppy mills. “If you see what puppy mills look like, you would not want a store that sells puppies in East Brunswick.”
The ordinance on first reading was approved at the council’s April 11 meeting and is scheduled to have a public hearing on April 25.
The ordinance, if passed, would disallow pet shops and kennels from selling dogs and cats that do not come from animal care facilities or animal rescue organizations.
“The way that the ordinance is written currently would not affect breeders’ ability to sell directly to the public. … It addresses the selling of dogs and cats through pet stores and limits them only to rescues,” said Township Attorney Jean Cipriani.
According to Cipriani, the ordinance could be extended to other animals if the council so chooses.
On March 28, the council voted unanimously in a special council meeting to revoke the pet shop license for Just Pups, located off of Route 18.
“If the only way that a business can make money is off of selling a puppy whose parents have been forced to live in a cage, that person shouldn’t be in business in my opinion,” Contrino said.
“All of us up here, I like to consider we are pro business. … Here, we are dealing with living things. We’re dealing with animals that are being exploited, mistreated and abused,” said Council President Michael Hughes, mentioning that multiple municipalities throughout the state are passing similar resolutions in response to pet stores being cited by the state.
The council voted 4-0 to schedule a public hearing for the ordinance, with Councilman James Wendell abstaining from the vote.
“I was in complete support of the Just Pups revocation, but something in my mind just tells me we are going a little bit too far,” he said
Contact Michael Nunes at mnunes@gmnews.com.
