Montgomery Council Passes Law Targeting Puppy Mills

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The Montgomery County Council has unanimously passed a bill to help crack down on the sale of puppies from commercial puppy mills in pet stores.

The bill goes to County Executive Ike Leggett for his signature, and will take effect 91 days after that.

Montgomery Community Media reports the bill prohibits any pet store in the county’s jurisdiction from selling any dog or cat unless the animal was obtained from an animal care facility or a nonprofit rescue organization.

Montgomery County Council President George Leventhal, chief sponsor of the bill, told the county newsite the idea behind the measure is to ban pet stores from selling “dogs or cats bred in puppy mills.”

Just Puppies on Veirs Mill Road is a pet store that sells puppies in Montgomery County but because it is in the city of Rockville it would not be subject to the new bill, if approved.

Wayne Pacelle, CEO and president of The Humane Society of the United States issued the following statement:

“Montgomery County has taken the stand that it will no longer allow the continued sale of puppy mill dogs who come from a life of misery, while their tax dollars are spent sheltering and euthanizing homeless dogs. We applaud the council for this unanimous vote in favor of animal protection.”

More than 70 localities nationwide, including the cities of Chicago and Los Angeles, have restricted the sale of commercial puppy mill dogs in pet stores, the group says.