We advocate on all animal protection and exploitation issues, including experimentation, factory farming, rodeos, breeders and traveling animal acts.
FROM Lohud.com
February 24, 2016
MAMARONECK - The village made history Monday night.
It became the first local government in New York to pass a law requiring
village pet shop owners to obtain dogs and cats from rescue shelters or
humane societies in Westchester County or those that are registered with the
New York state Department of Agriculture.
The new law targets puppy and kitten mills by imposing a village ban on the sale of commercially bred dogs and cats.
“This is precedent setting,” said Mayor Norm Rosenblum, who proposed the legislation. “It was one of the best efforts that I’ve been involved in ... It didn’t have anything to do with political parties. It was all for the animals.”
Rosenblum said the law will likely be enforced by the Building Department. Violations would be prosecuted as a misdemeanor and result in fines of $250 to $1,000.
There’s only one pet store in Mamaroneck: National Breeders at 154 Mamaroneck Ave. The store owner, Kevin Casiraghi, who took over in early December, did not return calls for comment. The store was formerly owned by Richard Doyle of Mahopac.
During Monday night's meeting, four of the five members of the Board of
Trustees voted in favor of the legislation. Trustee Leon Potok abstained
because he said he's concerned about an appeal.
"I am pleased we sent the message that our community abhors the inhumane
treatment of animals by puppy mills," Potok said in an email. "But I would
have preferred following our counsel's advice to first consult with the New
York attorney general's office. I expect that the new law will prove legally
defective."
But many members of the community spoke in favor of banning commercially bred animals in the village during Monday night's public hearing and commended the village board on approving the new law.
Paula Krenkel, president of the nonprofit animal rescue organization Pet
Rescue in Harrison, said this law will go a long way in preventing the
abuses of animals that are bred in horrible conditions.
"Here at Pet Rescue, we know well the horrors of puppy mills and have worked
hard to save as many victims as we could," Krenkel said in a statement. "Pet
Rescue applauds this new law and hope it sets first a statewide and then
nationwide precedent.”
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