Atlanta could be the ninth city in Georgia to pass legislation banning pet stores from selling puppies and kittens. The idea is to crack down on so-called “puppy mills and kitten mills.”

A subset of the Atlanta City Council will discuss the matter Tuesday afternoon.

While Atlanta pet stores don’t really sell puppies and kittens, Jessica Rock with the Atlanta Humane Society said it’s a good idea to ban such sales anyway.

She said puppy mills need to be discouraged because they hurt animals.

“Not only are they subjected to inhumane treatment, receive little to no vet care, live in filthy, unhealthy environments, it also causes them to not be socialized, and later on have potential aggression toward humans and other dogs, and separation anxiety,” Rock stated.

Council members who support the retail sale ban say it’s meant to encourage the adoption of rescued pets.

“This is a bigger problem in the suburbs, but I want the city [of Atlanta] to send a message that this is the right thing to do,” said Amir Farokhi, the Atlanta City Council member who drafted the legislation.

His legislation will go before the Atlanta City Council’s Public Safety Committee at 3 p.m. Tuesday.

Centerville, Sandy Springs and Ball Ground are among the eight Georgia cities blocking pet stores from selling dogs and cats.