Sample email to towns introducing idea of an ordinance
What if one act could help thousands of suffering animals and protect your constituents at the same time?
What if you could use the power of your office proactively for the greater good, at no cost to taxpayers?
You can, and 155 other New Jersey communities have already done it.
By passing a pet store ordinance.
Puppy mills are dog breeding hell-holes where suffering is the cost of doing business. While parent dogs live out their lives in cages, their offspring get trucked to pet stores at 8 weeks, often with health issues.
You can't go after the mills. They're in other states with lax laws and worse enforcement.
But you can wall yourself off from their disgusting business model with an ordinance prohibiting the retail sale of dogs (cats and rabbits) in your town.
Problem for businesses in town? Nope. None currently sell them. This just assures the status quo for the future.
Problem for future pet stores that want to open in town? Nope. They're still welcome to sell supplies and offer services. They can also partner with shelters or rescues to offer space to showcase adoptable animals.
Problem for your constituents. Nope. Responsible breeders aren't affected. Neither are shelters or rescues. 96% of the dogs that are obtained annually are still out there. That's right, by the stores' own figures, they supply only about 4%.
This is a win for everyone. It fights animal cruelty. It tells the state how you want it to act. It protects your constituents and reflects their values.
Let's get going. I've attached a sample ordinance.
I look forward to working with you.
Follow up email
Dear Mayor and Council,
I'm following up my June 15 email to ask you again to consider a humane pet store ordinance. This pre-emptive measure would keep the puppy mill to pet store pipeline out of your town while preserving the opportunity for humane pet stores to thrive in Millburn offering goods and services.
Colorado last month passed the 9th state law outlawing this inhumane business model but 155 municipal ordinances in New Jersey have not yet convinced our state legislature to follow suit. We must keep the pressure on Trenton.
I'm sure you'd agree that your constituents would applaud your efforts to assure Millburn forever remains a humane town. This ordinance hurts no one, helps reduce demand for puppy mill-bred dogs, and protects your citizens from the heartbreak of unknowingly bringing home a sick puppy.
Please join neighbors Livingston, Summit, Springfield, South Orange, Maplewood, Madison, Cranford and Westfield in passing this important ordinance. I am available to help you via email, phone or in person if you have any questions.
Thank you,
Larry Cohen
Humane Policy Volunteer
Humane World for Animals
908-477-0030
More forceful follow up email
Dear Mayor and Council,
As you research the Humane Pet Store Ordinance I spoke to you about on June 25, I would like to give you more insight and information to help you see its benefits.
First, an ordinance presumes there is a problem with New Jersey pet stores sourcing their dogs from inhumane puppy mills. Is there?
The best answer I can give you is this link I've previously sent you: titled "The Cruel Reality of the Puppy Mill Pipeline:"
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SJBv8YVW9l3Wopq1iFM-NQxXsJTyvuytaXuhbkG3KAE/edit?tab=t.0
The pictures and descriptions of inspection violations of dozens of breeders used by almost every New Jersey puppy-selling pet store cannot be ignored for its graphic depiction of the conditions dogs endure in these breeding facilities. Let me give you one egregious example.
On page 2, the breeder cited is Daniel Gingerich of Seymour, IA. Here is the narrative accompanying the disturbing photos:
"Gingerich is one of the worst known puppy mills in history. In 2021, he accumulated over 120 animal welfare violations for filthy conditions and dogs who were dead, sick, injured, emaciated and heat distressed. This "shocking cruelty" led to the first federal indictment of a commercial breeder for Animal Welfare Act violations. Gingerich settled with the Department of Justice, agreeing to relinquish all 500 dogs in his care, and pled guilty to state cruelty charges.
For context, in New Jersey, a breeder becomes illegal to use after being cited for 3 animal welfare violations (one if it's a 'direct' violation). Gingerich had 120.
Three New Jersey pet stores purchased from Gingerich. Two of them did so after he had accumulated enough inspection violations (3) to make him illegal to use under New Jersey's Pet Purchase Protection Act (PPPA).
I can provide you much more documented information proving New Jersey pet stores source from "Horrible Hundred" breeders, an annual list put out by Humane World for Animals showcasing some of the worst examples of puppy mills across the country. I can also provide documented proof that stores have used other breeders with violations that should have made them illegal to use under the PPPA.
Second, why is New Jersey's Pet Purchase Protection Act ineffective in preventing these stores from sourcing from puppy mills?
New Jersey's Division of Consumer Affairs, which enforces the PPPA, has demonstrated since the law's inception several consistencies:
• It does not do random inspections.
• It does not enforce two of the main provisions of the law:
1. That stores provide their licensing towns an annual list of their breeders with certain information.
2. That stores cannot use breeders with certain USDA inspection violations going back two years.
The lack of random inspections has made two things painfully obvious. In 2016, several months after the PPPA was first passed, Consumer Affairs found 26 pet stores then selling puppies in violation of the "disclosure" part of the law. This involves information that must be visible in stores about the breeder background of each puppy as well as a consumer's rights when purchasing a dog.
It was almost 10 years - and after advocates pressured the Division with their own evidence from inside the stores - that Consumer Affairs again went out to inspect only in-store disclosures, not the legality of the breeders used or the validity of the stores' breeder lists. Nevertheless, 14 of the remaining stores selling puppies in New Jersey were found to be in violation of the PPPA's disclosure requirements and subsequently fined. Attached below is a list of the most recent fines.
The "feel good" nature of the fines and corresponding publicity hides three important facts:
1. Stores know they can absorb minimal fines every decade or so by ignoring the disclosure part of the PPPA.
2. New Jersey consumers can go up to a decade not knowing if the information in the stores is up-to-date or accurate, if it's present at all.
3. There is no oversight of the legality under the PPPA of the breeders the stores use.
We have consistently provided Consumer Affairs with information proving stores have used breeders in violation of PPPA rules, including filing formal complaints, but the Division has not once fined a store for doing so. We have also uncovered multiple instances (including Gingerich) where stores have left breeders they've purchased off their breeder lists, or they've used unlicensed breeders, also against the law. This information can be provided to you.
Third, do these ordinances make a difference?
Yes, they do. New Jersey used to have upwards of 40 puppy-selling pet stores. Now there are only about 17. Because of these ordinances, there are 155 fewer towns these types of stores can open in.
The mills are also feeling the effect of ordinances and state laws across the country. According to Humane World for Animals, there are 32,000 fewer breeding dogs caged in USDA licensed puppy mills than there were 10 years ago. There has also been a 44% decrease in the number of puppies born in these mills since 2020.
My sister worked on passing these ordinances in Colorado the past few years. When the governor signed the state law earlier this year, he specifically mentioned the number of municipal ordinances in effect this time as opposed to the last time the bill was introduced, and how he thought it made a difference.
It is hard to determine the exact number, but we believe there is a tipping point when the sheer volume of New Jersey municipalities with ordinances will weigh on state legislators as they consider a state law. That almost happened at the beginning of this year, but Governor Murphy and/or legislators got cold feet at the last minute. While it has been very difficult to pinpoint exactly what happened, it's important to note any action in Trenton would affect existing stores. You do not have that concern, as this is preventative in your case, making it a much lighter lift.
Fourth, are these ordinances legally sound?
Yes, they are. Albuquerque, New Mexico passed the first version of this ordinance in 2006. In the 20 years since, there have been over 500 more passed in many states, including 155 in New Jersey. Not one has ever been overturned in any court - state or federal.
There have been challenges to the ordinances' legality - none in New Jersey - but EVERY TIME it was by an existing pet store that was directly impacted, according to Humane World for Animals. And the stores have NEVER won.
Bound Brook, Clinton, Franklin Township, North Plainfield, Westfield, Scotch Plains and Watchung are a few towns in your general area that have passed ordinances, most several years ago and all without incident. A few had other pet stores open at the time.
This is a sound, sensible, smart move for Bridgewater to protect its residents from exposure to a cruel business practice while at the same time working to help make New Jersey a more humane state. It is also a very powerful statement of support for what your own animal shelter stands for.
Let me know how I can further help you get this ordinance passed.
Sincerely,
Larry Cohen
Email recruiting town resident to write to council or speak at a meeting
Thanks so much for helping with this. I'm going to give you information you can use with the Bloomfield council, but believe it or not, the most value is in your being a resident. It becomes much more of an issue for council when constituents care about it.
The business model for pet stores for years has been to source puppies from big, midwestern puppy mills. We have so much documentation on it that it's not even in dispute anymore. Puppies in New Jersey pet stores come from bad places. Here's some proof:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SJBv8YVW9l3Wopq1iFM-NQxXsJTyvuytaXuhbkG3KAE/edit?tab=t.0
So the theory, and it's nationwide and has been for quite a number of years, is to choke off demand by prohibiting retail stores from selling puppies for profit. Ten states have done it, including Delaware, which just passed it yesterday. 155 New Jersey towns have done it. Over 500 towns and cities across the country have done it. It's a real thing. Here's a chart:
Humane World: Localities Prohibiting Retail Pet Store Puppy Sales
So a humane pet store ordinance (attached below) has five main benefits:
1. Protects the town from a future store trying to sell puppies while protecting stores (now and in the future) that want to offer goods and services.
2. Helps shelters, rescues and responsible breeders who sell directly to the public and care what happens to their puppies.
3. Protects consumers from the heartbreak of a sick or undersocialized puppy.
4. Reduces the number of puppies born in the mills (down 44% since 2020, according to Humane World for Animals).
5. Puts state legislators on notice that the values of Bloomfield residents (and those of 155 other towns) are such that a state law is needed.
I've given all this to council. You are welcome to re-use any or all of it but again, the most important thing is that you live in town, so if you want to speak from the heart about your own feelings and values, that would be wonderful too.
Here are the council members' email addresses:
jmundell@bloomfieldtwpnj.com
rgonzalez@bloomfieldtwpnj.com
sarahcruz@bloomfieldtwpnj.com
Jfischman@bloomfieldtwpnj.com
TToler-Phillips@bloomfieldtwpnj.com
mtabares@bloomfieldtwpnj.com
njoanow@bloomfieldtwpnj.com
It's very important that you say you are a Bloomfield resident. If you don't mind, put your street address at the end after your name.
Two more really important things:
• If you can get any other Bloomfield residents to do this, that would be huge. I don't know what the tipping point would be, but I think if we could get it up to half a dozen or so, they'll have to take notice.
• If you want to speak at a council meeting and would like me to join you, I'd be happy to. Just one caveat; I'm getting my knee replaced Aug. 31, so I'd be out of action for a bit after that.
If there's anything else I can do to help you with this, please, let me know. Thanks again!
Larry Cohen
908-477-0030