A. Purpose: The purpose of this section is to protect the citizens of the City who may purchase dogs, cats, or rabbits from a pet shop, retail business, or other commercial establishment, by reducing the emotional and financial burdens on consumers who unwittingly buy mill-bred pets, and to reduce the costs to the City of sheltering and euthanizing unwanted problem pets.
B. Definitions: For the purposes of this section, the following words shall have the following meanings:
CERTIFICATE OF SOURCE: Means any document from the source animal shelter, animal control agency, humane society, or non-profit rescue organization declaring the source of the dog, cat, or rabbit on the premises of the pet shop, retail business, or other commercial animal establishment.
NON-PROFIT ANIMAL RESCUE ORGANIZATION: Means any non-profit organization that has tax exempt status under section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code, whose mission and practice is, in whole or in significant part, the rescue and placement of dogs, cats, or rabbits.
C. Source Of Animals: It is unlawful to display, offer for sale, deliver, barter, auction, give away, transfer, or sell any live dog, cat, or rabbit in any pet shop, retail business, or other commercial establishment located in Murray City, unless the dog, cat, or rabbit was obtained from a City or County animal shelter or animal control agency, a humane society, or a non-profit animal rescue organization.
D. Certificate Of Source: All pet shops, retail businesses, or other commercial animal establishments selling dogs, cats, or rabbits shall maintain a certificate of source for each of the animals and make it available upon request to animal control officers, law enforcement, Code Enforcement Officers, or any other City employee charged with enforcing the provisions of this section.
E. Exemptions: This section shall not apply to the display, offer for sale, delivery, bartering, auction, giving away, transfer, or sale of dogs, cats, or rabbits from the premises on which they were bred and reared.
F. Maintaining Animals For Adoption: Nothing in this section shall prevent the owner, operator, or employees of a pet shop, retail business, or other commercial establishment located in the City from providing space and appropriate care for animals owned by a City animal shelter or animal control agency, humane society, or non-profit animal rescue organization and maintaining those animals at the pet shop, retail business, or other commercial animal establishment for the purpose of public adoption.
G. Violation: A violation of this section shall be a Class C misdemeanor. Each dog, cat, or rabbit sold or offered for sale in violation of this section shall constitute a separate offense. (Ord. 18-23)