Squan Council Reintroducing Pet Sale Ordinance

The Manasquan Borough Council tonight is slated to reintroduce its proposed ordinance banning the sale of dogs and cats at pet shops in town. 

The mayor and council's work session begins at 7 p.m., followed by their regular meeting at 8 p.m. in Borough Hall. 

The governing body last month introduced a proposed ordinance that would have  in Manasquan pet shops, but defeated it the following meeting after Borough Council members decided certain language in the draft might have created unintended consequences for private breeders. 

Councilman Joe Bossone last month said he wanted to redraft the proposed ordinance, which was up for final vote, and remove any language that would have unintentionally banned dog and cat breeding in Manasquan homes and kennels.

"The original intent of this ordinance was not to affect or target individual households or a kennel that may breed dogs, (but) the way it's worded may just do that," Bossone said at the meeting. 

The council voted 5-0 to defeat the proposal with the intention to reintroduce the new draft at its Sept. 4 meeting. 

Borough Attorney Mark Kittrick was tasked with removing any reference to kennels and kennel owners from the original draft, but no other changes would be made, officials have said. 

Citing research from the Humane Society of the United States, the draft ordinance (2120-12) said that many licensed breeders in fact breed dogs or cats "in relatively inhumane conditions." 

Commonly referred to as "puppy mills" and "kitten factories," such breeders have been known by authorities to over-breed, inbreed, lack standard veterinary care, provide poor-quality food and shelter, lack human socialization, and over-crowd cages, the draft said. 

It adds that dogs bred in so-called puppy mills are more likely to have behavorial and/or health problems. 

"[T]he Borough Council believes that a community that promotes animal welfare will be a healthier community," the draft said. 

Violators of the proposed ordinance would face either fines of up to $2000, 90 days in jail, community service, or a combination of the three, the draft said. 

The governing body also believes the proposed ban would encourage more pet adoptions from shelters, "thereby saving animals' lives and reducing the cost to the public sheltering of animals," the draft said.