SANFORD, Fla. -- Sanford leaders have banned the retail sale of dogs and cats bred at puppy mills or kitten factories.
- Sanford bans sale of puppies from 'puppy mills'
- Ban intended to prevent overcrowding
- Storefronts to solely sell from shelters
City officials on Monday approved the new ordinance to ban the sale of four-legged friends bred at particular facilities to be sold at local stores, citing sanitation and overcrowding concerns.
"People that are breeding for no reason... just unconscionable. They just think they will make money off these animals and then they end up they can't sell them, so they end up at shelters or kill shelters," said Judy Sarullo, president of Pet Rescue by Judy in Sanford.
That is how some animals end up in Sarullo's care, she said.
"Chihuahuas and pits are the number one animals that are being put to sleep because they just keep breeding them," Sarullo explained.
But it's not just overbreeding Sanford commissioners were concerned with when they decided to pass the ordinance.
Now store selling dogs or cats can only sell animals from shelters, although breeders can still sell to individual buyers in Sanford.
However, Sarullo is hopeful the ban on stores selling puppies and kittens in bulk will push eager pet parents toward shelter pets.
"Hopefully people will see the pets in need. Don't help people make money off of an animal, help those who are already alive and need homes," Sarullo said.
Other areas like Lake County and the city of Casselberry have also enacted similar bans against the retail sale of puppy mill or kitten factory animals in their areas.