To combat the puppy mill problem in the state of Florida, hillsborough county has decided to deny any new building of puppy stores. This came in lieu of many Pet Stores in Florida selling puppies from puppy mills. Many of these animals are often found living in squalid conditions with debilitating disease that come from inbreeding or the conditions in which they are located.
The move was to help local animal shelters make room for more animals in need and help with adopting puppies and kittens that need a home so that none of these precious lives are euthanized too early.
Adopt, don't shop
There are three puppy stores in Hillsborough County that are able to stay open thanks to the transition and help from the County. The condition is that these puppy stores can remain open if they keep a close tab on the breeders in which they buy the puppies to sell them to the public and are operating with federal law.
Commissioners worked on this type of compromise after deliberations and public opinion about the banning of commercial sales of cats and dogs in the County.
The approval was a deep divide to animal lovers. Those in favor of cracking down on Puppy Mills say that allowing these three stores to use their breeders doesn’t change the fact that many of these cats and dogs live in deplorable conditions and to clean up their act doesn’t mean they won’t keep doing it to provide better quality care for the animals.
Those in favor of keeping small businesses open say there should be a transition plan or communication between the breeders and the puppy stores so that everyone is in compliance with the law.
Many of the small businesses that sell puppies and kittens could be out of income if the plan banned all commercial sales of cats and dogs because the only way they could ever get the animals were from local breeders.
Clauses and exemptions
For small businesses to keep selling puppies in Florida, they must visit their breeders in person once a year to check up on the health and well-being of the animals.
If these puppy stores are buying puppies and kittens from outside the state, they must have a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection on file.
Puppies Tampa has been investigated for some of the dogs and cats in their store that do not have this Certificate on file. But All About Puppies has tracking records and files of certifications that these puppies are healthy when they cross state lines from Kansas and Missouri to Florida.
The other condition for small business to work with local breeders is that they are now allowed to get animals from breeders that have violated Department of Agriculture statues within the past two years. If a puppy store is found to contain animals from a breeder that has violated statues from the Department of Agriculture, they would lose their grandfather status and will be convicted by federal and state agencies if they four or more violations.
