Council panel OKs ordinance regarding pet store licenses

Wednesday, Sept. 23, 1998 | 10:50 a.m.

A Las Vegas City Council recommending committee has given its approval to a proposed ordinance that would allow the city to revoke the business licenses of pet stores that are habitually unsanitary.

The bill, sponsored by Mayor Jan Laverty Jones, received the recommendation from the committee of Councilmen Larry Brown and Michael McDonald at Tuesday's hearing. It will come before the full council on Oct. 12.

"We have received many calls of complaints from visitors to Las Vegas who, after they got home, called to tell us of the sad conditions in our pet stores," Judith Ruiz, president of the Las Vegas Valley Humane Society, told the committee. "We support this bill."

At a recent council meeting, Jones said: "Although animal control can go in there now and repeatedly cite them for having unsanitary conditions or sick animals, we do not have the ability to pull their business licenses under the current ordinance."

The bill is designed to address chronic violators of existing ordinances, not businesses with minor violations. Even then, the proposed ordinance does not allow immediate shutdown of businesses.

In the case of minor violations, a written correction notice would be issued, the bill says. In the case of violations that present a public hazard or a hazard to the animals, a citation would be given and the proprietor would have 24 hours to correct the problem, the bill says.

However, "upon further reinspection, if compliance has not been obtained, the Animal Regulation Officer may commence proceedings to revoke the permit," the bill says.

The bill regulates what the city calls "professional animal handlers," which would include pet stores.

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