New Braunfels City Council approves first reading of ordinance regulating sale of pets

The City Council chambers filled with applause Oct. 10 as the dais approved the first reading of an ordinance regulating the sale of pets in the city of New Braunfels in a 4-3 vote. Mayor Rusty Brockman and council members Jason Hurta and James Blakey were the dissenting votes.

The issue of pet sales has been a long-standing one as the Animal Services Advisory Board held various public hearings in the past 12 months to work toward this ordinance.

The City Council received a presentation in July from the ASAB with the recommended ordinance to regulate the sale of cats and dogs in retail shops, as previously reported by Community Impact.

The number of cats and dogs euthanized by the New Braunfels Humane Society has decreased over the years, according to the ordinance, but euthanization has not completely stopped as facilities are overpopulated with animals.

To curb euthanization, overpopulation and the sale of pets from “large-scale, commercial breeding facilities,” the ordinance states that a retail pet shop may only sell cats and dogs if they were obtained by the shop from an animal shelter or animal welfare organization.

Animal welfare organizations are classified as nonprofit organizations that have tax-exempt status and take unwanted, abandoned, abused or stray animals and place them in permanent or foster homes. Animal welfare organizations do not include entities that breed animals or entities that obtain cats and dogs from breeders, according to the ordinance.

The second reading of the ordinance will be at the upcoming City Council meeting, Oct. 24 at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 500 Landa St., New Braunfels.