On April 5th, the Las Vegas City Council narrowly adopted Bill No. 2023-6 to amend professional animal handler and breeder permits. The new ordinance was created to address and help put an end to illegal breeding operations, including puppy mills and animal handlers in the city.
Sadly, while there are an estimated 50 permits for breeding that currently exist in the city, there are believed to be thousands of operations across Las Vegas where amateurs are callously breeding animals in unfathomable conditions with inadequate care.
WAN corresponded with the office of Councilwoman Victoria Seaman, who introduced the amendment that passed the City Council by a vote of 4-3 in support of the bill.
“As an animal lover, I have the most profound respect and admiration for all our animal rescues and the fantastic volunteers who dedicate their time and money to rescuing our animals. This is one of the reasons I worked with them and Nevada Voters for Animals on a series of changes to our animal welfare ordinance to help end the illegal breeding flooding our rescues with sick and unwanted animals,” Councilwoman Seaman told WAN.
“These changes create, for the first time, severe criminal penalties specifically addressing illegal breeding. If they don’t comply with breeding laws, the harsh penalties will deter those from breeding illegally. In addition to the penalties for unlawful breeding, these changes provide increased oversight and protection of animals in grooming, training, and boarding facilities. These were critical first steps. However, we have more work to give our animals the protection they deserve,” concluded the councilwoman who stated that she looks forward to working with the animal rescues and their amazing community of animal activists to get it done.
Animal rights supporters and animal rescue organizations attended the session where they shared their opinions during the public comment period prior to the vote. This time, the council decided to pass the bill that had previously failed in January before the new amendments were made.
As per the Las Vegas City Council, the bill:
-
Maintains the $50 fee for permits and inspections of dog and cat breeder operations.
-
Requires professional animal handler facilities to post animal-welfare signage with the phone number of our Animal Protected Services (APS) team.
-
If an animal dies or requires a veterinarian visit because of an injury, it must be reported to APS within 24 hours.
-
Requires anyone with a permit, upon request by APS, to turn over a reported deceased or injured animal.
-
Includes mandatory-minimum penalties for unpermitted dog and cat breeding.
