Pet store owners will soon be barred from selling dogs and cats in Roseville. The City Council unanimously approved an ordinance at Monday night’s meeting prohibiting the commercial sale of the popular pets.
The ordinance, believed to be the first of its kind enacted by a Minnesota city, will go into effect in about six months (180 days after passage and publication). The ordinance does allow pet stores to collaborate with animal shelter or rescue organization to showcase adoptable dogs and cats.
The City Council began considering the issue of commercial dog and cat sales inside the city limits in 2016 after learning about a disturbing U.S. Department of Agriculture (UDSA) inspection report concerning a local pet store. Since then, the council received public testimony on the issue and discussed the possibility of a commercial sales ban of dogs and cats at several meetings before moving to adopt the ordinance.