SARASOTA, Fla. - Petland Sarasota has filed a lawsuit challenging Sarasota County's ban on the sale of commercially bred cats and dogs.
The Herald-Tribune reports that the lawsuit filed late last month argues the rules are unconstitutional and unlawfully limit sales to local breeders, despite any findings that area pet stores have treated animals inhumanely or buy from suspect breeders.
The county's ordinance, approved in January, is designed to eliminate the local sale of animals brought in from "puppy mills" or "kitten factories" by prohibiting any new retail pet stores from selling animals that have not been bred or raised where they are being sold.
The new rule outlaws traditional retail pet stores and set a deadline for existing commercial pet stores to cease their cat and dog sales by Jan. 27.
