Community and Protective Services Committee

WHEREAS City staff recommends amendments to Schedule 29 of Licensing By-law No. 2002-189 by calling for a restriction on the sources of dogs and cats for sale in both new and existing licensed pet shops; and WHEREAS these restrictions indicate pet shops are only to source their dogs and cats from municipal animal shelters, humane societies, societies for the prevention of cruelty to animals, and rescue organizations; and WHEREAS the breeding conditions of rabbits being sold in pet stores, another prevalent issue, is not being addressed; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Ottawa include rabbits in this ban and restricts their sources to municipal animal shelters, humane societies, societies for the prevention of cruelty to animals, and rescue organizations.

WHEREAS City staff recommends amendments to Schedule 29 of Licensing By-law No. 2002-189 by calling for a restriction on the sources of dogs and cats for sale in both new and existing licensed pet shops; and WHEREAS with the exception of three pet shops, the only acceptable sources for dogs and cats are municipal animal shelters, humane societies, societies for the prevention of cruelty to animals, and rescue organizations; and WHEREAS it is recommended that these three existing pet shops be permitted to continue selling dogs and cats for profits on the condition that these animals originate from establishments inspected on an annual basis by an authorized agent; and WHEREAS these inspections are permitted to take place upon request therefore giving faulty commercial establishments ample notice to temporarily rectify all animal welfare issues, while over the other 364 days of the year, providing poor care to their dogs and cats; and WHEREAS this proposed ban places the onus and cost for inspection on the provinces of Quebec and Ontario, whose cooperation and willingness to pay is unlikely thus placing costs on the City of Ottawa; and WHEREAS this proposed ban does nothing to address existing issues of impulse purchasing, lack of sterilization, abandonment, and overpopulation; and WHEREAS in other jurisdictions including Kingston, Waterloo, and Vaughan, legislations have been passed to completely ban the sales of dogs and cats for profit; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the City

WHEREAS it is Council's objective to, in the longer term, have all pet shops operate under an adoption model through which cats and dogs are available from municipal animal shelters, humane societies, societies for the prevention of cruelty to animals, or rescue organizations; AND WHEREAS the proposed amendments to Schedule 29 to the Licensing By-law relating to pet shops, as set out in the staff report, include an amendment to provide for the aforementioned objective; AND WHEREAS also included in the staff report is an amendment that will permit the 3 licensed pet shops (Appendix A, Document 1) currently selling cats and dogs originating from commercial sources to continue doing so provided that those sources have been inspected by the relevant authorized animal welfare agency and are found to meet the requirements of the applicable animal welfare legislation enforced by that agency, and to have no convictions or outstanding Orders under that legislation; AND WHEREAS, to allow those 3 pet shops time to adapt to Council’s longer term objective and to adjust their business approach in order to transition to the recommended adoption model during the term of their license, which is not transferrable under the by-law; BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the 3 pet shops identified in Appendix A in Document 1 of the staff report be required to transition to an adoption model where they sell, keep or offer for sale cats and dogs originating only from a municipal animal shelter, a register