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Detroit City Council bans retail sale of dogs, cats at pet stores; ordinance passes unanimously
Summary
Detroit’s City Council voted unanimously to ban the retail sale of dogs and cats in pet stores, citing concerns about puppy mills and animal welfare. Supporters said the change is preventive and preserves adoption channels; opponents urged stronger statewide regulation instead of a local prohibition.
Detroit City Council on Jan. 28 voted 9-0 to adopt an ordinance amending Chapter 6 of the city code to prohibit the retail sale of dogs and cats by pet shops within Detroit.
Supporters said the local law is a preventive step that will reduce demand for animals sourced from large commercial breeding operations commonly described as “puppy mills.” Council Member Angela Whitfield Calloway, sponsor of the ordinance, told colleagues the city can set local standards and lead by example: “We’re the largest city in the State, so we can set the barometers,” she said during debate.
The vote followed more than an hour of discussion in which animal-welfare advocates and council members described two parallel concerns: the conditions in which some commercial breeders keep animals, and the difficulty cities face policing out-of-state breeders that ship…
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