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The new year brings a fresh start to the lives of dogs and cats in one Alabama City.
Madison City passed an ordinance banning “puppy mills” or commercial dog and/or cat breeding facilities within city limits, WHNT News 19 reported on Dec. 29, 2020. The ordinance took effect on New Year’s day, Jan. 1.
The new law requires pet shops to sell dogs and cats only from rescue organizations and shelters. The dogs and cats must be sold when they are at lest 8 weeks old — by this time puppies and kittens are weaned off their mother’s milk.
Detailed records about each dog and cat for sale must also be maintained and displayed on the cage. This includes the name and address of the organization that the animal is from.
Animal welfare groups have sought to end puppy mills, given that these large-scale breeding facilities are focused on profit and ignore the needs of puppies and their mothers. The Humane Society of the United States notes, “Dogs from puppy mills are often sick and unsocialized.”
Madison joins 10 other Alabama cities that have passed a law to protect dogs and cats. Niña V. Guno/JB
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