Detroit is banning the sale of dogs and cats at retail pet stores in the city, under a new ordinance the city council approved Tuesday.
In a unanimous vote, the council approved the measure, which still allows breeders to still sell dogs and cats directly to the public. Pet stores also could work with animal adoption groups to sell rescued animals.
“This is just one step in the right direction,” said Councilwoman Angela Whitfield Calloway, who introduced the ordinance.
Detroit doesn’t have any retail pet shops that currently sell dogs and cats, but supporters said the measure is preventative in case an operator does want to open in the city. It prevents retail shops from selling dogs and cats that may not be bred by responsible breeders.
“This is not banning breeding,” said Ariel Lefkovits, a public policy specialist who focuses on puppy mills for the Humane Society of the United States, who addressed the council before Tuesday’s vote. “This is not banning the sale of dogs or cats to the public. It’s only affecting pet stores.”
Lefkovits said there’s nothing at the state level that prevents a puppy mill in a Midwestern state from shipping their puppies into a store in Michigan, which is why cities can step in.
“We are working and fighting for regulations at the state level. That also takes time,” she said. “The cities have this power and responsibility to say, ‘We’re going to protect our own community.’”
Detroit is the latest Michigan community to ban the retail sale of dogs and cats. Eastpointe, Royal and 9 other Michigan communities also have bans in place.
Some councilmembers asked questions about enforcement and other ways to make sure pet stores were only selling dogs and cats from responsible breeders or were taking care of animals properly. But in the end, the entire council voted in favor of the ordinance.
“Everyone may not want a rescue dog through the humane society,” said Council President Mary Waters. “They may want to go to a pet shop. But how do we ensure that if a pet shop wanted to open, that those dogs that are sold have come from a licensed breeder?”
Lefkovits said even if a breeder is licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, those standards of care are “very minimal” and enforcement isn’t enough. Even when inspectors go in and issue citations, “there’s not meaningful enforcement happening.”
Waters supported the ordinance but said more work needs to be done because the measure doesn’t address the root issues at stake.
Councilwoman Gabriela Santiago-Romero called for the creation of a taskforce to address the city’s broader issues with breeders and strays.
“We have organizations that are addressing the issues that we deal with in the city of Detroit every single day and they’re doing it alone. We should be able to help you fill in the gaps,” she said. “…But this highlights the need for us to address the real issues in the city.”
