Moorestown Finalizes Puppy And Kitten Mill Pet Ban

MOORESTOWN, NJ — Moorestown Council unanimously took a stand against animal cruelty Monday night. When Councilwoman Victoria Napolitano motioned for a vote on a proposed ordinance to ban the sale of dogs and cats in pet stores in Moorestown, the other four members of council spoke up almost simultaneously.

“Who seconded?” Township Clerk Patricia Hunt asked. “We all did,” Deputy Mayor Stacey Jordan said, setting off a round of applause from the audience.

Moments later, the 5-0 vote memorialized the new township ordinance, which doesn’t prohibit the total sale of dogs and cats in the township. Moorestown residents can still purchase cats and dogs from rescues and breeders directly.

However, dogs and cats sold in pet stores many times come from puppy and kitten mills, and live in deplorable conditions. Moorestown becomes the 113th town in New Jersey and ninth in Burlington County to pass this type of ordinance, according to Brian Hackett, New Jersey State Director of State Affairs for the Humane Society of the United States.

Last week, California became the first entire state to ban the sale of puppy mill pets as actions from the federal government appear to make it easier for crooked breeders to get away with animal abuse.

Earlier this year, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) removed inspection reports and other information about how animals are treated at research labs, zoos and other operations — including dog breeders — from its website, citing court rulings and privacy concerns.

Those documents also contained records of actions taken against those who violated the Animal Welfare Act and the Horse Protection Act, according to the Washington Post.

The USDA said those documents would now be available through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, but the Animal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) said documents it obtained through that method were heavily redacted, “allowing animal abusers to operate without accountability.”

The USDA’s actions render the state’s “Pet Purchase Protection Act” useless, as it relies on pet store owners to provide information about the pets they are selling to the consumer, according to Janice Fisher, coordinator of the puppy mill awareness campaign for the animal advocacy group Friends of Animals United New Jersey.

After public outcry, the USDA restored a portion of the information, but information on potential abuse isn’t provided, according to National Geographic.The reports only say which and how many animals were at a facility. A number of advocacy groups have filed a lawsuit against the USDA to have the total records restored.

This is why the proposal passed by Moorestown Council on Monday night is so important, she said. If pet stores can’t sell dogs and cats in the first place, it doesn’t matter if they are able to obtain the necessary information in the first place.

“Puppy mills aren’t regulated the way they should be,” said Napolitano, who brought the proposed ordinance before council. “This is the best way to handle it.”

There are currently no pet stores in Moorestown, outside of the PetSmart on Nixon Drive, which works with animal rescues. However, Napolitano pointed out that a new pet store is always a possibility at the Moorestown Mall. She said this legislation would make sure that wouldn’t happen.

“You shouldn’t buy a pet at the same place you would buy a sweater from H&M,” Napolitano said.

As a child, Napolitano said she had a dog that came from a puppy mill, but as an adult, her family got its current dog from a rescue. Councilman Mike Locatell said he also has a rescue dog, and Councilwoman Lisa Petriello said she has rescue cats.

"This ordinance sends a clears message: Moorestown is taking a stand against animal cruelty," Mayor Manny Delgado said. "The Moorestown Town Council is proud to stand with over 100 other communities throughout New Jersey to promote the adoption of animals from places like the Burlington County Animal Shelter or from responsible breeders who keep the best interests of our four-legged friends in mind."

"There is one thing you can always say about Moorestown: we have heart," Jordan said. "By banning the sale of mass-bred dogs and cats, we are playing our part in building a more conscientious society while ensuring that the countless animals waiting in shelters are one step closer to finding their forever homes."

The vote follows the opening of a brand new dog park at Swede Run Fields on Westfield Road in Moorestown. That happened through a collaborative effort with Freeholder Director Bruce Garganio and the the Burlington County Freeholder Board.

For information on the Burlington County Animal Shelter and the pets they have available for adoption, visit www.co.burlington.nj.us/168/Animal-Shelter.

Patch file photo courtesy the Brandywine Valley SPCA