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West Chester residents and animal groups push borough to ban pet-store sales of dogs, cats and rabbits
Summary
Presenters at the June Public Safety Committee meeting urged West Chester Borough Council to draft an ordinance prohibiting the retail sale of dogs, cats and rabbits to block the “puppy‑mill to pet‑store” pipeline; council agreed to review model language with the borough solicitor and discuss next steps.
West Chester Borough residents and animal‑welfare advocates urged the borough to consider an ordinance that would prohibit pet stores from selling dogs, cats and rabbits, saying such a move would block a “puppy‑mill to pet‑store” pipeline and protect consumers and animals.
The proposal was presented June public safety meeting by Tiffany Stair, co‑founder of Revolution Philadelphia, and Bridal Lefkowitz, a puppy‑mills policy specialist with Humane World for Animals (formerly the Humane Society of the United States). Grace Kelly Herbert, president and co‑founder of Finding Shelter Rescue, described rescues and medical cases she says stem from the pet‑store supply chain and urged council to act.
The presenters said the ordinance is intentionally narrow and applied proactively because there are currently no pet stores in the borough that sell puppies, kittens or rabbits. “Residents will be able to get the pet of their choice from a local animal shelter or a responsible breeder who only sells directly to the public,” Lefkowitz said, describing model ordinance language used in other municipalities.
Speakers gave local examples and national context: Lefkowitz said more than 500 localities in 31 states have similar ordinances and cited Doylestown and New Britain as Pennsylvania examples. Herbert described rescue cases she has handled, including a puppy that required $6,000 in surgery and a puppy that died after being hospitalized; she said those outcomes are common enough to justify preventative local rules.
Council members thanked the presenters and said the borough would not vote on an ordinance immediately. The presiding official said the measure would require review by the borough solicitor and further discussion by the full council at a future meeting. Residents at the meeting, including Scott Swazanski and Rosalie Zwazanski, voiced support for pursuing the ordinance.
The meeting’s next steps: presenters offered to share model ordinance language and supporting research. Council members said staff will coordinate with the solicitor and bring draft language back for council consideration; no formal vote was taken at the meeting.
If the council directs staff to draft an ordinance, the typical process will require solicitor review, public notice and at least one council vote; the timeline was not specified at the meeting.
