The legislation comes after the arrest of a pet store owner charged with animal abuse.
AVENEL -- A state senator has filed a bill that would crack down on the sale of pets from large-scale breeders in an effort to put so-called puppy and kitten mills out of business.
State Sen. Ray Lesniak's bill comes just a few days after the arrest of an Avenel pet shop owner who was accused of keeping dogs in urine- and feces-soaked cages, and continuing to sell pets even though he'd been ordered to stop.
"These puppy mills have gained a notorious reputation for putting profits ahead of the humane treatment of dogs and cats," Lesniak -- a Democrat of Union County and one of several lawmakers preparing for a gubernatorial run in 2017 -- said in a news release. "Their mass breeding has created inbred health and behavioral problems and the inhumane conditions have left too many of these pets to suffer from neglect and mistreatment."
The bill, which will be taken up in the 2016 legislative session, expands to the state level a recent trend among some local governments, including Camden County, Mercer County and Manasquan, that have banned, curtailed or criticized large-scale animal sales. Earlier this year, Gov. Chris Christie signed legislation requiring pet shops to post information about a pet's breeder or broker.
The bill would require any sales of pets to be done face-to-face, a necessary measure, Lesniak says, owing to the increase in Internet sales. It would also prohibit pet shops from getting their stock of animals from anywhere except kennels, shelters or animal rescue organizations, unless the shop had its own breeding outfit, Lesniak said.
Lesniak first requested the bill a month ago, but decided to announce it after the arrest of Rocco Garruto, the owner of Fancy Pups on Saint Georges Avenue. Garruto will appear in Woodbridge court Wednesday on a host of charges filed by the New Jersey Society for the Protection of Animals. The NJSPCA said Garruto was selling sick dogs that were found "well below the standard of care needed."
After a Dec. 8 inspection that found pets covered in urine and feces and without access to water, the NJSPCA got a court order on Christmas Eve barring the shop from selling any more puppies, the organization said. But a short time after Christmas, a shop employee posted on Facebook that two dogs needed to be adopted. Investigators found three dogs for sale at an auto sales shop Garruto owns, police said. They didn't have any water in their cages, police said.
Beyond the animal cruelty charges, Garruto was also arrested and had to post $2,500 bail for allegedly violating the court order prohibiting him from selling dogs. That case has been transferred to Superior Court.
http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2015/11/mercer_freeholders_urge_ban_on_sales_of_puppy_mill.html
In addition to Garruto, two shop employees were charged by the NJSPCA with animal cruelty and neglect -- Sean Wostaka and Jennifer Evans. The organization also charged Dr. Keith Gordon, the veterinarian on record at the shop.
Gordon did not respond to a request for comment, but a person who answered the phone at his office said the doctor was trying to fix the problems at the shop.
Twelve puppies and a kitten are now being cared for by town-contracted vets or, in two cases, a boxer rescue.
None of the dogs have been cleared for adoption, Woodbridge spokesman John Hagerty said.
According to Lesniak, citing the Humane Society, large-scale puppy mills produce 2.4 million puppies every year. The problem has gotten worse because of Internet sales, Lesniak said. About 20,000 dogs and cats are euthanized every year in New Jersey, Lesniak said.
Violators of Lesniak's proposed legislation would face $500 fines. The sale of dogs and cats would be allowed only in person, but would still be permitted from shelters, pounds, kennels and animal rescue organizations.
Already, The Humane Society of the United States has come out in support of Lesniak's proposal.
"The passage of this bill will ensure that New Jersey residents acquire pets from humane, honest sources, such as shelters, rescues and responsible breeders who already sell their puppies and kittens face-to-face," Kathleen Schatzmann, a state-level official with the national group, said in a news release.
Brian Amaral may be reached at bamaral@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @bamaral44. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
