Proposed Bill
Would Limit Pet Sales in New Jersey
New Jersey pet retailers would not be allowed to sell more than
25 dogs and cats per year, and would not be able to keep the
animals in their stores for more than eight consecutive weeks
under a bill introduced in July.
Assembly Bill 3401 would force pet dealers to give animals
to their local municipal animal control facility after eight
weeks—and would raise the minimum shipping age to 10
weeks from 8 weeks.
In its current form, the bill includes a new 26-month guarantee
to take the animal back for a full refund if it was sold as
a pedigree and a licensed veterinarian certifies the presence
of congenital or genetic defects.
Pet dealers, defined as anyone wholesaling or retailing dogs
or cats in the state, would be required to:
• Purchase dogs or cats only from registered breeders named
on a list compiled and published by the Department of Health.
• Provide purchasers a detailed written statement regarding
the animal’s history, including its source, veterinary
care, health status and, if purebred or eligible for registration,
the sire’s and dam’s registration, if any, from
the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals.
• Post conspicuously on the cage of each dog or cat offered
for sale a notice indicating the state in which the cat or
dog was bred and brokered.
• Post conspicuously near the cages of dogs and cats offered
for sale a notice informing customers that information on
the source of the dogs and cats and the veterinary treatments
they received is available for review.
The proposed legislation also sets forth detailed care standards
for breeding facilities.
Any pet dealer who fails to provide or misrepresents any
required documentation or information, who knowingly purchases
cats or dogs from a breeder whose registration has been revoked,
or who is not properly registered is subject to fines as high
as $10,000 for each offense. Breeders also are subject to
civil penalties ranging up to $10,000 for each offense and
can be barred from selling dogs and cats for as many as 10
years for each offense.
At press time, the bill was not expected to be given a hearing
for at least several weeks, according to the Pet Industry
Joint Advisory Council (Washington). PIJAC had contacted the
bill’s sponsor to initiate discussions but was not yet
recommending that members take specific action. [October 2006
PET AGE]
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