Holliston to vote on puppy mill ban

On the evening of July 20, Holliston will hold its annual town meeting at Placentino/Miller Elementary School Cafetorium. Among the issues to be voted on is the Article to Protect Animals & Consumers in Holliston.

If passed, Article #22 would prohibit the commercial sale of puppies, kittens, and rabbits in pet shops - effectively stopping local pet stores from trucking in animal from puppy mills.

The Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty defines a puppy mill as a large scale commercial breeding facility where dogs are kept in conditions that the public would not consider humane and where dogs are repeatedly bred to generate as many puppies as possible for the retail pet market.

The bylaw would not impact reputable breeders, as they do not sell to pet shops. Supporters explain that the bylaw "will not affect a consumer’s ability to obtain a puppy, kitten, or rabbit of their choice directly from a shelter or rescue organization or from a reputable breeder where the consumer can see the conditions in which the animals are raised in and kept."

The article has been endorsed by the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Humane Society of the US, and the Animal Legal Defense Fund.