Columbus will soon decide whether or not to ban pet stores from selling cats, dogs and rabbits.
The Columbus City Council will vote tonight on the second reading of an ordinance instituting the ban. The city council meeting begins at 6 p.m. and can be livestreamed on the city’s website. Viewers can submit questions and comments during the meeting by emailing Mayor Jim Lienhoop.
Ordinances required two readings to be approved. At the first reading, the vote was 4-2, with Republican councilmen Tim Shuffett and Frank Miller voting against. Republican Councilman David Bush was absent and did not vote.
The proposed ordinance states that no pet shop “shall sell, deliver, offer for sale, barter, auction, give away or otherwise transfer or dispose of cats, rabbits, or dogs.”
Pet shops would be allowed to collaborate with Animal Care Services or rescue groups and provide space for those groups to “showcase adoptable dogs, rabbits and cats," according to the proposal. However, the pet shop would not have any ownership interest in the animals offered and would not receive a fee for providing the space, the proposal states.
Proponents of the ordinance say that it will keep harmful breeding operations — and stores that buy animals from them — out of the community. However, those skeptical of the ordinance, including Miller, have voiced concerns about how the legislation restricts businesses’ freedoms as to how they operate.
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What: City Council meeting
When: Tuesday, 6 p.m.
How to watch: City meetings can be livestreamed via www.columbus.in.gov/video/live-streaming/, and archived videos of past meetings are available at the same site. The city has said that it will continue to hold public meetings virtually through the month of April.
How to comment: To submit comments or questions during a city council meeting, email [email protected].
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