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Bill Would Override Local Pet Store Regulations
By: Associated Press
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Ohio lawmakers are considering a bill with an amendment that would override local ordinances attempting to regulate pet stores.
The Columbus Dispatch reports that the Senate Ways and Means Committee last week put an amendment into an unrelated state tax cleanup bill that would trump such regulatory attempts by cities like Grove City.
City Council members in Grove City voted in March to only allow pet stores to purchase animals from shelters and rescue groups. The ordinance to take effect Jan. 1, 2017 blocks stores from getting animals from high-volume breeders, which critics contend are often “puppy mills” that treat animals poorly.
The bill’s amendment says regulating pet stores is an issue of general Ohio interest that requires statewide regulation.
House Bill 166 could pass the Senate this week.