FRISCO (WBAP/KLIF News) – Frisco City Council voted unanimously this week to toughen pet store regulations.
The move comes months after the Humane Society of America released a report raising alarms about sick and mistreated dogs at Petland’s Frisco location.
Mayor Jeff Cheney said alarm bells went off after city council read the report.
“Some other visits occurred and some violations were noted. Just speaking with city leaders and animal advocates, we thought it was the appropriate time to look at our ordinance and find ways that we could protect consumers in our community but also protect the animals most importantly,” he said.
The new ordinance requires numerous stipulations for Petland Frisco’s owner to stay in compliance.
“It requires the dogs or cats be at least eight weeks old before they’re being sold and that they’re providing documented on-site visits by licensed veterinarians at least once per week. There’s additional standards as well such as providing prospective buyers documents stating that the dog has no known disease or illness,” he said.
There are also safeguards put in place for the animal’s safety after its sale as well.
“It does require microchip implants for dogs or cats sold at the store. It prohibits the sale or transfer of any animals from outside the United States,” he said.
Cheney said the owner of Petland Frisco has been cooperative thus far.
“They were actually part of the process and were more than willing to live up to any standards that the City of Frisco put in place and this ordinance has real teeth to it,” he said.
City officials can conduct unannounced pet store inspections at least quarterly but can be done as often as officials see fit.
If Petland Frisco’s owner or a similar store are found to be non-compliant, Cheney said there will be consequences.
“They would risk losing a permit all together. If we go in there for a routine visit our animal services team has the right to immediately shut them down. So, they are certainly on notice,” he said.
Those consequences includes criminal and civil penalties tied to any violations.
Some animal advocates were pushing for the city council to ban Petland Frisco and similar stores like it outright.
Mayor Cheney said that’s not the way Frisco does business.
“We’re a city that’s known for being business friendly. We did get called to shut down a city business and that’s not something that’s in our DNA to do. We work to find common sense solutions to problems,” he said.
City officials will continue to monitor the situation and consider making adjustments over time.
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