Englewood Pet Store Facing $31,000 Fine From the State

An Englewood pet store is one of several in New Jersey to be fined for failing to adhere to laws designed to protect consumers from purchasing unhealthy pets, authorities said Monday.

Mama & Papa’s Pet Shop faces a maximum penalty for 22 violations of the Pet Purchase Protection Act, state Acting Attorney General John J. Hoffman said. The act was amended earlier this year.

If the shop complies with the act and addresses the violations, a reduced penalty may be imposed. Shops that fail to address the violations face higher civil penalties, Hoffman said. The minimum the store may be fined is $3,125.

The state Division of Consumer Affairs issued violations to 17 stores, including four in Bergen County. The others fined in Bergen County include: Fashionable Pets in Paramus, Kazmir’s Pet Shop in Hackensack, and NY Puppy Club in Edgewater.

All of the pet shops failed to include all or some of each animal’s breeding history, including when and where it was bred, medical background, the date and name of the veterinarian who performed the animal’s initial examination, and other information on a label attached to each animal’s cage, Hoffman said.

Several pet shops were also cited for failing to properly display reports of any federal inspections conducted on breeders and brokers in the past two years. Others did not display federal inspection reports and did not display the required signs informing customers of their rights when purchasing an animal from a pet shop.

“Providing consumers with information about the breeder and the animal’s veterinary history allows consumers to make educated choices in purchasing a pet for their family,” said Acting Attorney General John J. Hoffman. “Pet shops that don’t provide this vital information are breaking the law and denying consumers the ability to fully research this important decision.”

(Photo via Wikimedia Commons)