LAFAYETTE, Colo. — Lafayette City Council is considering an ordinance that would ban any sale of dogs or cats where a profit is made.
The ordinance, which is being drafted, would mean retail stores could not sell dogs or cats. It would also mean breeders could not sell litters of the animals.
The ordinance would not impact animal rescues or shelters, according to city leaders.
“A big part of it is the prevention of puppy mills," said Lafayette City Councilor Tonya Briggs. “We have this massive overpopulation crisis going on... We need to slow the breeding down drastically, because these animals are either getting euthanized or they're getting sick and living on the streets, and it's just dangerous and it's not safe.”
However, those working at Gone Wild Pet & Supply feel the ordinance unfairly targets their shop, saying they are the only retail pet shop in the city.
“We've just created a model that we feel like should be the model of all pet stores. You should not have more puppies than you can care for and maintain," said Gone Wild Pet & Supply owner Toni Anderson.
Anderson says she only has two to 10 puppies in the store at a time.
“The difference between a puppy mill and a good breeder is the medical care and the process of getting a puppy from here to there," she said.
The owner says her shop does much more than just sell puppies.
“Puppies are not my sole income. Puppies are not the foundation of my business. I have grooming, I have boarding, I have retail," Anderson explained. “If the councilors would like to come down and sit and look at every one of my breeders, I'd be happy to do that. Nobody has come in here to find out how we do it.”
Anderson plans on contacting her lawyer to see how to best proceed with the ordinance being drafted.
If the ordinance passes its first reading near the end of March, the second reading will be at the beginning of April. Under the ordinance, violations would result in fines, but Briggs says the city would rather educate residents and try to get their compliance before resorting to fines.
