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CRT 2017 #35 · Communication to the City Council · Jun 19 2017
a report from Councillor Dennis J. Carlone and Councillor Leland Cheung, Co-Chairs of the Ordinance Committee, for a public hearing held on June 6, 2017 to discuss a proposed amendment to the Municipal Code in Title 6 entitled “Animals” to insert a new Chapter 6.20 entitled “Restrictions on the sale of animals in Pet Shops.”
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FIRST PUBLICATION NO. 3297
City of Cambridge
In the Year Two Thousand and Seventeen
AN ORDINANCE
In amendment to the Ordinance entitled “Municipal Code of the City of Cambridge”
Be it ordained that in Title 6 entitled “Animals” be amended to add a new
Chapter 6.20 entitled “Restrictions on the Sale of Animals in Pet Shops” which
reads as follows:
Chapter 6.20 RESTRICTIONS ON THE SALE OF ANIMALS IN PET SHOPS
6.20.010.
Definitions
As used in this chapter:
A. “Amphibian” means a member of the Amphibia class, subclass Lissamphibia
B. “Animal care facility” means an animal control center or animal shelter,
maintained by or under contract with any state, county, or municipality, whose
mission or practice is, in whole, or significant part, protecting the welfare of
animals and the placement of animals in permanent homes or with animal rescue
organizations.
C. “Animal rescue organization” means any not-for-profit organization which has
tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue
Code, whose mission and practice is, in whole or in significant part, the rescue of
animals and the placement of those animals in permanent homes, and which does
not obtain birds, mammals, amphibians, or reptiles from a breeder or broker for
payment or compensation.
D. “Bird” means a member of the Aves class.
E. “Breeder” means a person who maintains birds, mammals, amphibians, or
reptiles for the purpose of breeding and selling their offspring.
F. “Broker” means a person who transfers birds, mammals, amphibians, or
reptiles at wholesale for resale by another.
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G. “Mammal” means a member of the class mammalia.
H. “Offer for sale” means to sell, offer for sale or adoption, barter, auction, give
away or otherwise transfer a bird, mammal, amphibian, or reptile.
I. “Pet shop” means a retail establishment where mammals, birds, amphibians,
arachnids or reptiles, are sold, exchanged, bartered or offered for sale as pet
animals to the general public at retail. Such definition shall not include an
animal care facility or animal rescue organization, as defined.
J. “Reptile” means a member of the Reptilia class.
6.20.020.
Prohibition on Retail Sales
A. A pet shop may offer for sale only those arachnids, birds, mammals, amphibians,
or reptiles that the pet shop has obtained from or displays in cooperation with:
1.
An animal care facility, as defined in section 6.20.010 of this chapter; or
2.
An animal rescue organization, as defined in section 6.20.010 of this
chapter; or
3.
An animal sold or displayed for agricultural uses; or
4.
Dead animals sold or displayed as breeder animals.
B. Each pet shop shall maintain records sufficient to document the source of each
arachnid, bird, mammal, amphibian, or reptile the pet shop acquires, for at least
one year following the date of acquisition. Such records shall be made available,
immediately upon request, to the Director of the Animal Commission, any
Animal Control Officer, Police Officer and/or Sanitation Inspector or Code
Enforcement Inspector detailed with the Public Health and Inspectional Services
Departments.
C. Each pet shop offering arachnids, birds, mammals, amphibians, or reptiles for
sale shall post, in a conspicuous location on the cage or enclosure of each animal,
a sign listing the name of the animal care facility or animal rescue organization
from which each arachnid, bird, mammal, amphibian, or reptile in the cage or
enclosure was acquired.
6.20.030.
Prohibition on Sales in Public Places
A. It shall be unlawful for any person to offer for sale, sell, exchange, trade, barter,
lease or display for a commercial purpose any arachnid, bird, mammal, amphibian,
or reptile on any roadside, public right-of-way, parkway, median, park, other
recreation area, flea market or other outdoor market, or commercial or retail
parking lot regardless of whether such access is authorized by the property owner.
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B. This section shall not apply to the following:
1.
The display for adoption of arachnids, birds, mammals, amphibians, or
reptiles by an animal care facility or an animal rescue organization, as
defined in section 6.20.010 of this chapter; or
2.
The display of arachnids, birds, mammals, amphibians, or reptiles
as part of a state or county fair exhibition, 4-H program, or similar
exhibitions or educational programs.
3.
An animal sold or displayed for agricultural uses.
4.
Dead animals sold or displayed as breeder animals.
6.20.040. Enforcement Officials Designated
The Director of the Animal Commission, Animal Control Officers, Police Officers
and Sanitation Inspectors and Code Enforcement Inspectors detailed with the
Public Health and Inspectional Services Departments shall have the authority of
enforcing all sections of this chapter. All fines and penalties assessed and collected
under this chapter may be enforced by issuance of non-criminal tickets pursuant to
G.L. c. 40, § 21D, or as otherwise authorized by law.
6.20.050. Violation - Penalty
Any person who sells an arachnid, bird, mammal, amphibian, or reptile in
violation of section 6.20.020 or 6.20.030 of this chapter shall be fined three
hundred ($300.00) dollars. Each animal sold or offered for sale in violation of
these sections shall constitute a separate offense.
6.20.060.
Implementation
An advisory committee will be created by the City Manager to assist Cambridge
pet shops to comply with Chapter 6.20. The committee will include a
representative of the Cambridge Animal Commission. The committee will also
include at least one representative from Cambridge pet shops, and one
representative each from the Humane Society of the United States, the Animal
Rescue League of Boston, and the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals. The committee will be chaired by a designee of the City
Manager; will remain in effect for eighteen months after passage of the ordinance;
and will issue an implementation status report to the City Council before the end
of its eighteen month term.
6.20.070. Severability
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If any provision of this chapter or the application thereof to any person or
circumstance shall for any reason be held invalid, the remainder of this chapter and
the application thereof shall not be affected and shall continue to be in full force
and effect.
6.20.080. Effective Date
The provisions of these sections shall be effective one year after passage.
Passed to a second reading as amended at the City Council meeting held on June 19, 2017 and on or after
July 10, 2017 the question comes on passage to be ordained.
ATTEST:-
Donna P. Lopez
City Clerk