Aurora outlaws the sale of cats and dogs in pet stores

Aurora takes a stand against puppy mills by banning the sales of cats and dogs in pet stores. The only exception is if the store receives the animal from an animal shelter or nonprofit animal rescue.

“People ask, ‘Well, why are you worried about an Aurora thing?’ Well, because it’s right next door, and the wave of the animal rights activists and the humane society is to go city to city pretty much and pretty much extinguish our business,” said Jens Larsen, the owner of Denver Perfect Pets in Centennial reports CBS News.

According to the Greeley Tribune, the last pet store in Aurora was shut down in “March 2020 because of unpaid taxes.” The outlet also shared the advocacy “by Aurora residents prompted City Council members Danielle Jurinsky and Juan Marcano” to sign the legislation.

With a vote of 7-3, the bill passed last week with 15 people speaking in favor of the bill during the public portion of the discussion and only two people joining the conversation in opposition.

“I’m in full agreement with this ordinance that will prohibit the resale of the puppies, the kittens, the dogs, the cats, from these puppy mills,” said Aurora resident Paula Wilcox. “They should be able to show some authentic proof of where they got these animals and be totally prohibited from any that come from a puppy mill.”

In part, the ordinance reads:

“It shall be unlawful for a pet shop to display, sell, deliver, offer for sale, barter, auction, give away, broker, or otherwise transfer or dispose of a dog or cat, except for a dog or cat obtained from an animal care facility or animal rescue organization.”

Aurora became the 13th city in Colorado to outlaw the sale of cats and dogs in pet stores.
Councilmembers Jurinsky, Crystal Murillo, Ruben Medina, Juan Marcano, Françoise Bergan, Alison Coombs, and Angela Lawson voted in favor, Councilmembers Zvonek, Gardner, and Steve Sundberg voted against it, and Mayor Mike Coffman voted against it.