In hopes of preventing a pet sale ban passage (and future bans), APPA, along with three other leading industry organizations, have joined together to support a pending lawsuit that challenges the prohibition of the sale of dogs and cats by pet stores in Phoenix, AZ.
APPA, the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC), the Pet Industry Distributors Association (PIDA) and the World Pet Association (WPA) have collectively donated $125,000 to support a lawsuit brought in the U.S. District Court in Phoenix on behalf of Phoenix pet store Puppies ‘N Love. The lawsuit challenges the ban on several grounds; specifically that it violates both the Commerce Clause and the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution. Currently there are 48 cities throughout the U.S. that have passed ordinances banning the sale of dogs and cats by pet stores. In addition to Phoenix, major cities such as San Diego, Los Angeles, Chicago and Cook County, IL have enacted bans.
Representatives of the organizations involved agree the issue of substandard breeders and stores is serious and challenging but maintain that passing bans is not a proper solution. Instead they look to establish industry-wide standards that protect dogs and cats while at the same time ensuring that people who choose to purchase a pet have a reliable and humane source for obtaining them and that responsible breeders and stores are granted their constitutional right to do business providing pets to those prospective owners.
Puppies ‘N Love was granted a preliminary injunction on April 2, 2014, which stays enforcement of the ordinance until the litigation is concluded. The trial will take place sometime in late 2014 or early 2015.
We will continue to keep you updated as new information becomes available!