The Town of Richmond Hill may be one step closer to banning the sale of puppies and kittens in pet stores.

Animal rights activists are applauding council’s approval last night of a staff report calling for investigation into ways to enforce a ban on sale of dogs, cats and rabbits in stores.

The decision at last night’s committee of the whole – which is to go to council for final vote next week — called for staff to look into implementing a licensing program to monitor and enforce adoption, rather than the sale, of pets in stores.

Advocacy groups are viewing the vote as a step in the right direction in their battle against unethical puppy and kitten mills that use inhumane treatment to breed primarily for profit.

Related Content Politicians offer solutions to unethical puppy sales

Councillors heard from animal activist Martin Field who said legislation banning such sales is long overdue because pet stores encourage impulse buying, do not properly screen homes or educate buyers, often keep animals on display in an unregulated environment and “routinely put profit before animal welfare by contributing to an industry of puppy mills, commercial breeders and backyard breeders”.

Arman Parnian, with Pets Friend in Richmond Hill, defended the practice of store sales, saying his main breeder won the urban animal industry’s highest honour, and puppies at the store, and others in town, are exercised daily, checked by veterinarians and cared for “extremely well”.

Council asked town staff to investigate the possibility of a ban on pet sales last year after receiving a petition of 2,000 names and more than 30 letters expressing concern.

Public consultations determined residents would rather stores focus on adoptions, which are tied to local rescues and shelters and can help eliminate the sale of animals sourced from commercial mills and backyard breeders.

“Residents are concerned with the health and welfare of the animals in the community and as one respondent wrote, they "do not want to support the hidden and tragic industry of puppy mills’,” the staff report said.

If given final approval by council Monday night, staff will report back on a licensing program for pet stores as an enforcement tool to monitor and only allow the adoption, not sale, of cats and dogs.