Nick Guccione, an alderman in Wentzville, Missouri, has proposed a measure that would ban the retail sale of cats and dogs. He hopes that the ordinance will curb the state's increasing problem with puppy mills.
"I am just fed up with the puppy mills," Guccione told the Springfield News-Leader news source. "They [the puppies] have no one to stand up for them. Hopefully, with this proposal, other cities will get on board."
The proposed ordinance would ban all stores from auctioning, selling, bartering, giving away or delivering dogs and cats. Those who breed animals would not be affected by the proposal. It would also allow individuals who are purchasing a pet to visit the breeding site and see the conditions in which the animals are being raised.
Certain nonprofit organizations would also be exempt from the law so that they could continue to offer animals in need of homes up for adoption. Guccione said other cities, such as Albuquerque, New Mexico, have already passed similar legislation.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals says that puppies raised in mills are more likely to develop a number of health issues, including respiratory disorders, deafness, kidney disease and epilepsy.
Nick Guccione, an alderman in Wentzville, Missouri, has proposed a measure that would ban the retail sale of cats and dogs. He hopes that the ordinance will curb the state's increasing problem with puppy mills.