Dog, Cat Breeders Losing Sleep Over Retail Ban

CA - South Tahoe enacts ban on dog, cat sales


Tue Apr 21, 2009 2:34 pm (PDT)


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CA - South Tahoe enacts ban on dog, cat sales

BY MARK ROBISON • MOSTLYDOGS@RGJ.COM •
APRIL 21, 2009

A ban on the retail sale of cats and dogs was approved earlier this
month by the South Lake Tahoe City Council to curb the resale of
dogs and cats bred in puppy mills.

Breeders still can sell directly to people, and stores can work with
rescue groups and shelters to have cats and dogs adopted at their
businesses. The ban affects no other animals.

"We understand that this is the first such ordinance in North
America," said Dawn Armstrong of the Lake Tahoe Humane Society
& SPCA. "Others can now take courage. With the investigations and
the work being done in Southern California and in other states, it
just may be the beginning of the end of the puppy mill industry."

The ordinance takes effect May 5. The only retail store selling pets
in South Lake is Broc's Puppies, where owner Denny Franks called
the ban disappointing and vowed to sue the people and groups involved.

"I'm not sitting still and just taking a beating," Franks said, adding he
plans to seek an injunction to stop the ban.

He said the puppies he gets are purchased from places that have
been inspected as clean and properly caring for their dogs by state
and federal authorities.

"No one has shown me that one puppy I've sold originated in a
puppy mill," he said.

Franks said he didn't understand how "hobbyist" and "backyard"
breeders, who are not affected by the ban, can continue to sell
puppies even though they don't have to be inspected or have
any government oversight while he has complied with all laws.

"All's I'm trying to do is stay alive," he said. "Because of all this trash
they've thrown on me, it has brought my morale down. I'm having
trouble sleeping at night."