Ridgewood Council Looks To Ban The Sale Of Puppy Mill Dogs

RIDGEWOOD, NJ — The Village Council is taking steps to ban sale of pets from puppy and kitten mills.

Officials introduced an ordinance Wednesday that would prohibit such animals from being sold in the village.

Several Bergen County municipalities — Paramus, Glen Rock, Saddle Brook, Emerson, Wyckoff, and East Rutherford — have banned the sale of puppy mill dogs since 67 puppies were found in near-freezing conditions in a van outside the Paramus store earlier this year.

The state filed a six-count complaint against embattled Just Pups owner Vincent LoSacco, alleging that he misled customers about the health of puppies sold in his four North Jersey puppy stores.

LoSacco faces civil penalties of up to $10,000 for each of the 32 violations mentioned in the complaint.

LoSacco, an Emerson resident, also allegedly did not have a veterinarian reexamine puppies within three days of being delivered. He also failed to inform buyers that they had a legal right to recover the purchase price and veterinary costs for an animal that died or was deemed "unfit for purchase," the complaint alleges.

Inspectors found three dead dogs inside a freezer at the Just Pups location in East Brunswick in January. The East Brunswick Town Council voted to permanently revoke LoSacco's health license March 28 and shut down the store.

State and local authorities charged LoSacco and his brother, Leonard, with 134 counts of animal cruelty after the puppies were found in the van outside the Paramus store. They have pleaded not guilty to those charges.

LoSacco was written up earlier this year for violating Missouri regulations regarding the keeping and sale of dogs and puppies. The violations ranged from having unhealthy dogs to not maintaining proper health records. He denies running a puppy mill and doing anything wrong.

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com

Photo: Some of the puppies found at the Just Pups Paramus facility — Paramus Police Department

Related: 50 Dogs Found In Freezing Van Outside Paramus Puppy Store
Related: Just Pups Owner Charged With 134 Counts Of Animal Cruelty
Related: Just Pups Owner Written Up For Several Violations At Missouri Facility
Related: Three Dead Dogs Found in Freezer of Pet Store, NJSPCA Says