N.J. Bills Could Burden Pet Shops
Just in time for Christmas, New Jersey lawmakers proposed two problematic measures for pet stores, according to the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (Washington).
Assembly Bill 3491 proposes a 1,000 percent increase in the amount of fines pet stores may face—$100 to $1,000 per offense instead of $5 to $50—if found to be violating state licensing laws. The increase is “excessive and without justification,” according to PIJAC.
Current state licensing law requires pet shop operators to apply annually for a license from the clerk or other official designated to license dogs in the municipality where the establishment is located. New Jersey law defines pet shops as any place of business that is not part of a kennel in which animals are “kept or displayed chiefly for the purpose of sale to individuals for personal appreciation and companionship rather than for business or research purposes.”
Assembly Bill 3488 would require all licensed pet shops to provide, at point of sale, contact information for providers of pet health insurance offered in New Jersey.
The requirement as written is vague and presents a financial burden, PIJAC said.
At press time, both bills resided in the Assembly Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources and awaited a hearing. [February 2009 PET AGE]
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