WASHINGTON – A bill banning retailers from selling dogs and cats in Montgomery County is headed to the full council for consideration.
A Montgomery County Council committee voted in support of the measure Thursday afternoon.
The bill is tentatively scheduled for a full vote by the County Council on March 3.
During a public hearing last week, pet owners, retailers, breeders and animal welfare advocates testified for and against the bill.
Among those opposing the bill is Mitchell Thompson. He owns Just Puppies, a Rockville retailer and the lone pet store in the county that sells dogs and cats. Although the county bill would not apply to incorporated cities, a Rockville councilwoman has indicated interest in pursuing similar legislation there.
Thompson told a council committee that his business cares about puppies, a comment that generated grumbling from supporters of the bill.
“Kennels are inspected from the USDA and state on a regular basis. Vet care and teeth cleaning is mandatory on every animal,” he said to defend his business.
Thompson told the council committee he buys his puppies from 30 different kennels, most in Missouri. He said he’d recently taken a trip there to talk to an inspector.
But several former Just Puppies employees testified in favor of the bill during last week’s hearing.
David Beye told the council committee: “While working at Just Puppies, we would get many dogs from these breeders that had clearly not had proper medical care. Many had underlying genetic conditions that would quickly kill them.”
Cindy Castro, another former Just Puppies worker, said a boxer puppy frequently vomited and his illness escalated. Weeks went by before he was taken to a vet, according to Castro’s testimony. One day, she came in to work to learn that the pup had been euthanized.
Ruth Hanessian, owner of the Animal Exchange, also testified against the bill. Although Hannesian’s store doesn’t sell kittens or puppies, she said the bill could send prospective pet owners to “unregulated sources” where they might find “older dogs with uncertain histories.” Hanessian said shelters and rescues could provide good dogs, but “they’re not right for everyone.”
WTOP’S Kate Ryan contributed to this report.