Another City Cracks Down On Puppy Mill by not allowing Pet Stores !

South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com
Hallandale cracks down on puppy mill sales at pet shops
By Carli Teproff, The Miami Herald
April 8, 2012
In the same week Broward County leaders adopted a no-kill animal control policy for the county's shelters, Hallandale Beach took its first step toward banning pet stores from selling animals that come from a mass breeder.

While these laws are different — one aims to reduce the number of animals euthanized and the other is meant to prevent sick animals from being sold in a pet shop — they both send the same message: Adopt from a shelter or rescue group.

"This has been a big week for animals," said Lisa Mendheim, public education coordinator for the Broward County Animal Care and Adoption Center.

These ordinances will join another law already on the books in Parkland where pet stores are prohibited from selling dogs from a puppy mill.

Hallandale Beach Commission made it clear last week they support people getting pets from shelters and rescue groups rather than pet shops.

On Wednesday — in front of more than 100 animal lovers who came in support — the Hallandale Beach Commission adopted an ordinance banning pet shops from selling animals that did not come from a shelter, were not surrendered by an owner or did not come from an on-site breeder. The new ordinance still has to pass on second reading.

The city joins 16 other cities across the United States including Lake Worth; Austin, Texas; and West Hollywood, Calif. in banning pet shops from selling mass-produced animals.

"The animals can't speak for themselves," said Hallandale Beach Commissioner Keith London. "We need to have compassion in our lives and make sure those that can't speak for themselves have a voice."

Michele Lazarow, of Hallandale Beach, said she has been asking the city to consider the law for years after she bought a Maltese in a pet store that came from a breeder.

Puppy mills, Lazarow said, breed sick dogs.

The dog, named Alfie, was four months at the time. Now 7, Alfie suffers from a disorder that prevents him from digesting protein.

"He has no quality of life," Lazarow said. "This is about humanity."

The ordinance is more symbolic than anything else. There are no pet shops within the 4-mile city other than PetCo, which only works with shelter animals. But the proposed law would make it difficult for future pet stores to actually sell the animals.

A few years ago there were two pet stores in the city, but both have shut down. Best Price Puppies, formerly at 645 W. Hallandale Beach Blvd., was shut down after constant protests and complaints that the shop sold sick animals.

Other pet stores outside of the city have also faced problems, including Wizard of Claws in Pembroke Pines. The store's owners faced lawsuits from clients who said they'd been sold a sick puppy and eventually filed for bankruptcy.