Protesters who slammed a downtown Raleigh store as a
“puppy mill” have a new goal: banning the commercial sale of dogs and cats in
Raleigh and beyond.
The group, which included members of NC Animal Advocates
United, took their plea to city council during Tuesday’s public comment
session. The group is pushing for a ban on any pet shop selling dogs or cats.
Exceptions would be made for rescues or shelters offering pets with adoption
fees.
The proposal comes after months of controversy around
Petopia, a retail store on E. Martin Street, selling puppies and other pet
products. Protesters picketed the store, and started an online petition calling
it a “puppy mill.” The store closed in January.
“So obviously you can put pressure on businesses to try and
get them to stop what they’re doing, change course, change their business
model” said Josh Baldwin, an organizer with NC Animal Advocates United. “But
ultimately these types of stores can still pop back up. And if I think
government has any good role, it’s definitely in protecting lives, and in this
case, protecting the lives of dogs.”
According to the Animal Legal Defense Fund, 400 cities and
counties, and at least six states across the U.S., have passed retail pet sales
bans.
The proposal presented to Raleigh city council is modeled on
an ordinance passed in North Myrtle Beach in 2019, spearheaded by city council
member Nikki Fontana, who spoke during the Tuesday public comment session in
Raleigh.
“In 2019 we became the first municipality in the state of
South Carolina to pass this ordinance,” said Fontana. Fontana said she’s given
a similar presentation to the Wilmington City Council, and is planning to speak
in Durham and Charlotte as well.
As is standard policy, city council didn’t respond during
Tuesday’s public comment session. WRAL asked Mayor Janet Cowell on Wednesday if
she had any reaction to the proposal, or any interest in exploring a similar
ordinance in Raleigh. So far, she hasn’t responded.
Josh Baldwin admits his group faces an uphill battle in
getting an ordinance passed in Raleigh, in part because North Carolina
municipalities are given little leeway in these matters by the state
legislature.
“So we kind of have to work with state legislators, that’s
kind of the next step” said Baldwin.
In the meantime, Baldwin said NC Animal Advocates United
plans to continue pressing the city to take action in any way they can.
