Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
Hopewell Borough has joined the growing list of towns that do not allow pet stores to sell puppies and kittens that were acquired from so-called “puppy mills,” or large-scale commercial breeders.
Hopewell Borough Council unanimously adopted an ordinance that would allow a pet store to sell puppies and kittens – but only if they came from an animal shelter or an animal rescue group.
There are no pet stores in Hopewell Borough.
The ordinance will not allow a pet store to “sell, deliver, offer for sale, barter, auction, give away or otherwise transfer or dispose of cats or dogs.”
The ordinance does not ban consumers from acquiring animals from an animal shelter or animal rescue group, or from hobby breeders where they can see the conditions under which the puppies and kittens are bred.
Several proponents of the ordinance appeared at Borough Council’s Aug. 3 meeting to show their support for it.
Larry Cohen, who lives in Fanwood and who represented the Humane Society of the United States, thanked the Borough Council for adopting the ordinance and joining 106 New Jersey towns that have done so.
“From our perspective, we think you are doing the right thing,” Cohen told Borough Council.
Hamilton Township resident Ellen Coyote also thanked the council for adopting the ordinance. She said the puppy mill operators are “unscrupulous” and lie to customers about the puppies and kittens, some of who are sick.
“I can’t believe what is allowed to go on. They outright lie (to consumers) when they get their dogs. People buy sick puppies and have to spend money to treat their health problems,” Coyote said.
The ordinance that was adopted is based on a model ordinance prepared by NJ Residents Against Puppy Mills. It has been lobbying towns since 2015 to adopt an ordinance that bans pet stores from sourcing puppies and kittens from puppy mills.
NJ Residents Against Puppy Mills believes the ordinance will encourage people to adopt dogs and cats from shelters and nonprofit animal rescue groups, thus preventing them from being euthanized.
About 21,000 dogs and cats are killed each year in New Jersey, according to NJ Residents Against Puppy Mills. Nationwide, more than 3 million dogs and cats are euthanized, according to the Humane Society of the United States.
