Cumberland town official wants to license dog breeding

CUMBERLAND – The Town Council is considering an ordinance that will require dog owners to purchase a breeder’s license from the town if they intend to allow their dog to breed.

The ordinance was proposed by At Large Councilman Thomas Kane in response to a recent incident on Victory Street where police and investigators from the Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals were called to investigate a situation where several dogs who were being bred for profit and their puppies were being kept in a filthy overcrowded cage in a residential neighborhood.

The conditions came to light after a neighbors posted a video on social media that went viral.

“This incident led me to realize that we don’t have anything on the books to safeguard against situations like this,” Kane said. “This will give us a little more control over dog breeding.”

The ordinance, which was tweaked by the council at a public hearing last week, will go before the Ordinance Subcommittee for review before going back to the council for a final vote on Oct. 17.

If approved, dog breeders would be required to fork over $250 to obtain an annual dog breeding permit from the town clerk. Obtaining a permit would depend on an inspection from the Animal Control Department to determine if the premises where the dog is being bred in compliance with all applicable laws and suitable for the proper care and breeding of dogs. Those conditions will be spelled out in a policy established by the Ani- mal Control Department and posted on the department’s Web page.

According to the proposed ordinance, dog breeding permits will only be issued of the property is located in a zoning district where kennel use is permitted or where the applicant has obtained a special permit from the Zoning Board of Review.

Dog breeding without a permit would carry a penalty of $500. In addition, the Animal Control Department will have the authority to seize any and all dogs kept or harbored in violation of the ordinance.

Kane says the ordinance, which was drafted with input from Special Counsel Kelley Morris, Police Chief John R. Desmarais and the RISPCA, places tighter restrictions on dog breeding that will prevent the abuse of animals and protect neighbors who live in close quarters to breeders.

At Large Councilor Peter J. Bradley’s reception to the proposed ordinance appeared to be lukewarm and questioned why it was specifically targeting dog breeders.

“Why not have an ordinance requiring a license to breed cats, or canaries or even worms,” he said.

“I’m glad we’re being reactionary, on this,” responded Councilman Robert G. Shaw, Jr. “A lot of things go on in this town that people aren’t aware of until something happens and is brought to light. It is our responsibility to make sure we take the property steps so something like this doesn’t happen again. If someone wants to breed their dog for profit, they need to do it responsibly.”

“I’m not trying to prevent anyone from breeding. This ordinance is to make sure they do it in a responsible manner,” added Kane.

When Bradley pointed out that the dog owner on Victory Street was not charged with any violation, Kane said: “There were no violations because we have nothing on the books. Had we had in ordinance place there would have been an inspection and there would have been violations.”

“This (proposed ordinance) is not a reaction to just one incident,” he added. “For me, there’s the larger issue of people breeding dogs without any regard for the welfare of the animal or the people who live near them.”