Say Goodbye To Puppy Stores In Clark County
How much is that doggie in the window? Well soon, thanks to a new ruling from the Clark County Commission, there won’t be one in the window.
The commission voted unanimously to put a stop to businesses selling “new” dogs and cats. It also bans the sales of rabbits and pigs. The reasoning? The sourcing of the pets. They don’t just appear out of nowhere and often come from puppy mills. That adds an unnecessary new population of animals into a mix that already is bursting at the seams with pets up for adoption.
Businesses will have a year to get things in order to either change their way of doing business or stop operations. After which point each illegal sale will hit the retailer with a $500 fine.
While the ordinance gets rid of the profit motive of selling these animals, it allows opening floor space to rescues looking to showcase their adoptable animals. Many pet stores have been doing this for years, with great success for non-profits.
How big of a problem is it… and will this help?
In the meeting, Commissioner Michael Neft noted that over $6,000,000 is spent yearly to deal with the animal issue in Clark County. Closing the spigot that feeds more animals into the system, via spay and neuter programs and puppy store bans like the one enacted yesterday is hoped to stem the tide.
Obviously there are several businesses that are likely to be negatively affected with the ruling. The commission directed the Office Of Economic Development to offer assistance to businesses who are sure to have issues when the rule is enacted next year.
A similar ban in California led to most pet stores going out of business and no measurable improvement in animals at local shelters, according to Clark County’s chief of code enforcement Jim Anderson.
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