Miami considers moratorium on puppy sales

City of Miami The Animal Rights Foundation of Florida said retail pet shops get their animals from puppy mills.

The City of Miami may become the latest South Florida municipality to ban the retail sale of dogs.

On Thursday, city commissioners gave tentative approval to a six-month moratorium on new stores selling dogs or cats in order to research an outright ban on the commercial sale of the animals. Commissioners did so at the urging of the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida, whose spokesman said retail pet shops get their dogs from puppy mills, known for mass-breeding puppies in unhealthy conditions.

Ultimately, spokesman Don Anthony said, many of these dogs have severe health issues and end up in publicly funded animal shelters.

'You and all these people pay to house, feed and eventually kill them,' he said.

Commissioner Francis Suarez, who proposed the moratorium, said there are 13 pet stores in Miami. He said the potential moratorium isn't a condemnation of those shopkeepers.

'What we're doing is studying this issue for six months and making a recommendation to this commission on whether there should be an outright ban,' he said.

No shopkeepers spoke during the meeting. Animal-rights advocate and Hallandale Beach Commissioner Michele Lazarow told commissioners she'd investigated pet stores in Miami and found that many are indeed buying dogs from puppy mills.

Other South Florida cities, including North Miami Beach, have banned the commercial sale of puppies. Lazarow said cities like Hallandale Beach are cracking down on pet shops because the federal government has been unable to address the issue.

'The reason the municipalities have taken control is we've given them ample opportunities to do that and they haven't,' she said.

City of Miami

The Animal Rights Foundation of Florida said retail pet shops get their animals from puppy mills.

A 5-month-old child was on life support at Miami Children's Hospital after his mother's boyfriend harmed him, police said.

Miami-Dade County Hall was locked down for about an hour Thursday during a security threat that coincided with the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.