A proposed Norman ordinance would ban pet stores from selling dogs and cats obtained from commercial breeders.
Kellee Robertson, manager of the Norman Animal Welfare Center, presented the proposal at the Oct. 8 City Council Oversight Committee meeting, the Norman Transcript reported. The ordinance would prohibit pet stores from selling dogs and cats obtained directly or indirectly from commercial breeders.
The measure has been in the works for months. The Animal Welfare Oversight Committee listed a "Discussion and Vote on Updating the Buying and Selling of Pets Ordinance" as an action item at its March 11 meeting. The topic returned on the committee's Sept. 16 agenda as a discussion item, and the committee voted unanimously that night to recommend the ordinance to the City Council, according to the Transcript.
No Norman pet store currently sells dogs or cats from a retail space, the Transcript reported. Robertson told the Transcript the ordinance stems from an increase in nearby pet stores she had seen using a commercial breeding-to-retail sales process. The proposal is preemptive, aimed at preventing that model from taking hold in Norman.
The city's Animal Welfare Center, at 3428 South Jenkins Ave., adopts out nearly 2,000 animals a year, according to the city's animal welfare page. The adoption fee is $50 and covers spaying or neutering, vaccinations, de-worming and a heartworm test for dogs. The center reports a live release rate above 90%.
The ordinance still needs a full City Council vote. No date for that vote has been announced.
The next Animal Welfare Oversight Committee meetings are scheduled for Nov. 18 and Jan. 13, 2027, at the Animal Welfare Center conference room, 3428 South Jenkins Ave. Residents who want to weigh in on the ordinance can attend those meetings or contact the center at 405-292-9736.
