El Paso Making History

Animal advocates still want pet store sales ban
By Marty Schladen \ El Paso Times
Posted: 10/01/2010 12:00:00 AM MDT

Pet ordinance
Petland sues, says it will close Jan. 1City Council passes pet ordinance, pledges $250K to educate, enforceCity will consider plan to reduce pet euthanizations todayPet ordinance: Compromise is just a startTimes Q&A: Mayor's pet proposal small step towards limiting killingsAnimal-rights advocates want to make sure that a ban on sales of dogs and cats by pet stores stays in an ordinance that will be the subject of a public hearing next week by the El Paso City Council.

The groups also want to see an enforceable requirement that everybody owning a breeding dog or cat get a permit for every litter the animals have.

The City Council for months has debated an ordinance intended reduce the number of animals killed at the Animal Services shelter. Currently, 17,000 to 18,000 are killed there each year.

"The bottom line is, stop the killing," Dory Munder of Southwest Collie Rescue said Thursday.

Munder and representatives of the Animal Legal Defense Fund, Animal Rescue League, Golden Retriever Rescue of El Paso, Great Dane Rescue of El Paso and other organizations called a press conference at the offices of the Humane Society to outline their priorities.

Mayor John Cook proposed a ban on pet store sales of dogs and cats earlier this summer, saying it is a moral issue. He said the pets sold in those stores often are bred in inhumane conditions.

However, the mayor said, sale of those pets is probably not a major reason why El Paso has so many unwanted dogs and cats.

The groups at Thursday's press conference disagreed. Representatives of the rescue groups said animals bought from pet stores often get loose and breed with other animals, adding to the problem.

The pet store ban is "just another way to shut off the supply," said Chris Yakubovsky, an animal advocate.
The newest proposed ordinance is likely to include a requirement that only breeders registered with a recognized organization can breed dogs and cats for sale. Others advertising dogs and cats for adoption probably will have to show they have obtained a litter permit from the city.

A public hearing on the proposed ordinance will be part of Tuesday's City Council meeting. It will start at 8:30 a.m. on the second floor of City Hall, 2 Civic Center Plaza.

Marty Schladen may be reached at mschladen@elpasotimes.com; 546-6127.