North Brunswick has broken new ground in Middlesex County by passing a law that bans retail stores from selling dogs and cats.
The Township Council voted unanimously to adopt two ordinances prohibiting the sale of pets at shops in the township at a recent meeting.
Vince Sheehan, who owns Katie’s Pet Depot on Renaissance Boulevard, said he and Jay Soloway, president of the North Brunswick Humane Association, came up with the ordinance a year ago.
“We brought it to [Mayor Francis ‘Mac’ Womack] because we believe that dogs should not be in pet stores,” he said. “The shelf life for dogs to be sold at puppy stores is three months.”
Supporters of the ban said they want to prevent an outlet for so-called puppy mills to sell their animals locally.
“These puppy mills are not humane to the puppies,” Sheehan said. “They are only in it for the money. And this goes for kittens, as well.”
Sheehan and his wife Linda opened Katie’s Pet Depot five years ago. Their store only has cats up for adoption.
“You can’t be in this business without loving animals,” Sheehan said. “We take in countless [numbers] of surrenders, and if we cannot take them in, then we reach out to places that will.”
Sheehan said a big issue is that first-time pet owners should be educated on how to take care of the dog or cat.
“We don’t have a return policy; however, if one surrenders their pet, we will take it back,” he said.
Similar bans have been enacted in Manasquan, Point Pleasant Beach, Point Pleasant Borough, Brick and Hoboken, according to Soloway. The ordinance is being considered in Jersey City, Lakewood, Toms River and Oceanport. Sheehan and Soloway hope other municipalities follow North Brunswick’s lead. Township Clerk Lisa Russo has sent the ordinance to nearby municipalities, Soloway said.
While a bill pending in the state Assembly would make it mandatory for municipalities to issue licenses to stores that adhere to a set of regulations, Soloway said the state legislation would not resolve the problem of puppy-mill animals being sold locally.
But he is hopeful that further bans will take place, considering that it is under consideration in places such as Los Angeles County and New York City, he said. Contact Kathy Chang at [email protected].