TINTON FALLS – The Borough Council has set March 19 as the date for a public hearing on an ordinance that, if adopted, will amend the Tinton Falls municipal code to prohibit the sale of dogs and cats in retail stores, with the exception of animals that have been rescued or donated.
Borough Council President Gary Baldwin, Deputy Council President John Manginelli, Councilman Christopher Pak, Councilwoman Nancyanne Fama and Councilman Brock Siebert introduced the ordinance on March 5.
Officials said the adoption of the ordinance would not affect an individual’s ability to obtain a dog of his choice directly from a rescue organization or a shelter, or from a legitimate licensed breeder where an individual can see the conditions in which the dogs are bred, or can confer directly with the breeder concerning those conditions.
The ordinance generally states that the owner of a pet shop may not sell animals he has obtained from large-scale commercial breeding facilities. Other municipalities throughout New Jersey have adopted similar restrictions in recent years.
The proposed ordinance states that “a significant number of dogs and cats sold at pet shops come from large-scale commercial breeding facilities where the health and welfare of the animals are not adequately provided for.”
These large-scale commercial breeding facilities are often referred to as puppy mills and kitten mills.
The ordinance states that “the inhumane conditions in puppy/kitten mills lead to a variety of serious health and behavioral issues in the animals bred in those facilities, which many consumers are unaware of when purchasing from pet shops due to both a lack of education on the issue and misleading and deceptive tactics of pet shops in most cases. These health and behavioral issues, which may not present themselves until sometime after the purchase of the animals, can impose exorbitant financial and emotional costs on consumers.”
Council members said that “restricting the retail sale of dogs/cats to only those that are sourced and available for adoption from shelters or rescue organizations is likely to decrease the demand for dogs/cats bred in puppy/kitten mills, and is likely to
increase demand for animals from animal shelters and rescue organizations.”
According to the ordinance, any person, firm or corporation who violates or neglects to comply with any provision of the ordinance will be subject to a fine of not more than $2,000 for each offense, or incarceration for not more than 90 days, or community service for not more than 90 days, or any combination of those penalties, as determined at the discretion of the municipal court judge.
Members of the public may offer their comments on the proposed ordinance during the March 19 public hearing. Council members may adopt the ordinance following the public hearing.
