By Peter Elacqua
Staff Writer
MARLBORO – The Township Council has adopted an ordinance that places restrictions on the sale of cats and dogs by pet stores in the municipality.
The ordinance was adopted on Oct. 20. Council President Carol Mazzola and council members Jeff Cantor, Randi Marder, Scott Metzger and Michael Scalea voted to adopt the law.
The ordinance states that a pet store may only sell dogs and cats that were obtained from or are displayed in cooperation with an animal care facility or an animal rescue organization. In addition, a pet store may not sell a dog or cat that is younger than 8 weeks old.
“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,” the ordinance states.
“The inhumane conditions in puppy and kitten mill facilities lead to health and behavioral issues in the animals bred in those facilities, which many consumers are unaware of when purchasing animals from pet shops due to both a lack of education on the issue and misleading tactics of pet shops in come cases,” according to the ordinance.
One resident asked about the purchase of other animals in Marlboro and Scalea responded, saying, “There is a movement in Monmouth County to oppose puppy mills and other situations going on in this country. (The ordinance) does not stop an established store … from selling rabbits or mice. It is a movement to keep the purchase of puppies and kittens through the adoption process and to eliminate the puppy mill process.”
For purposes of the ordinance, an animal care facility is defined as “an animal control center or animal shelter, maintained by or under contract with any state, county, or municipality, whose mission and practice is … the rescue and placement of animals in permanent homes or rescue organizations.’
An animal rescue organization is defined as “any not-for-profit organization … whose mission and practice is … with or without salary or compensation, to house and care for homeless animals in the home of an individual or in other facilities, with the intent of placing the animals in responsible, more permanent homes as soon as possible.”