News

By Dan Moffett

    Delray Beach joined the growing list of Florida communities that have acted against disreputable dog breeders when city commissioners gave preliminary approval to an ordinance that prohibits the sale of animals from puppy mills.
    Though Delray has no known puppy mills, state records show that mass breeding operations in the Midwest have provided thousands of dogs to South Florida sellers, including the city’s only pet shop, Waggs to Riches. The shop’s owner says she no longer uses the breeder cited.
    Mayor Cary Glickstein said he was reluctant to take action that affects only one business but had no choice because county records show that puppies from several unscrupulous breeders have been sold locally.
    “The lifeblood of these puppy mills is in fact the retail stores,” Glickstein said. “The ordinance is absolutely the right thing to do.”
    The first reading of the ordinance passed 4-1 on June 17, with Commissioner Adam Frankel voting no.
The final hearing for the ordinance was postponed July 1 for the city attorney to do additional research on the wording.
Frankel said he opposed the law because the disreputable breeders are “in Kansas, Missouri and Ohio,” not in Delray Beach. He said the commission should stay out of what is an enforcement matter for the federal government.
    “This is an ordinance that addresses puppy mills. Where in the city do we have a puppy mill?” Frankel asked. “In reality, all it’s affecting is one business.”
    More than a dozen Florida cities recently have passed similar laws, including Wellington, Wilton Manors, Sunrise, Parkland and Hallandale Beach. More than 50 cities across the nation, including Chicago and San Diego, also have cracked down. Commissioner Shelly Petrolia said Delray Beach had to join the movement.
    “This is an issue not only about right and wrong but what society is willing to accept as proper treatment of man’s best friend,” Petrolia said. “And it boils down to who will and who will not take a stand against this horrible industry that appears to be more interested in money than living beings.”
    Commissioners Jordana Jarjura and Al Jacquet professed their support for the ordinance, but also expressed disappointment in the behavior of human beings since the public debate began in April.
    “While I understand the passion behind the issue,” Jarjura said, “it’s disappointing how disrespectful we’ve been to each other on both sides of the issue.”
    Jacquet criticized supporters and opponents of the law for “hypocrisy and grandstanding” and wondered why the ordinance should pertain only to dogs and cats.
    “If this is about protecting animals, then let’s make Delray Beach an animal-friendly city all around,” he said, and asked why the activists weren’t also outraged over “slaughtering pigs.”
    The ordinance calls for fines of at least $400 for retailers that sell dogs or cats from unscrupulous breeders and offers assurances to potential pet owners that the animals they buy won’t have breeding-related health issues.
    City police and code officers would enforce the new law, if it survives further public comment and a final commission vote.