It’s not uncommon to see roadside stands along Winchester Road peddling puppies, but a move by the Memphis City Council today went a step further in stopping the already-illegal practice.
The Parks and Neighborhood Services committee approved an ordinance banning the sale of live animals in parking lots. There’s already a county ordinance in place outlawing the sale of anything in a parking lot without a permit, but the new city ordinance would prevent potential animal sellers from even obtaining a permit.
Strickland reasoned that parking lot animal sales prevent people from adopting from Memphis Animal Services.
“We want to stop [live animal sales] because we euthanize 13,000 animals every year in the city,” said Strickland.
He also said that many people who buy from parking lot vendors are making “spur-of-the-moment purchases” and are thus more likely to let their animals roam the neighborhood or surrender them to the city shelter.
If the full council passes the ordinance, Memphis Police officers will be responsible for enforcement. First-time offenders will be asked to leave the property; repeat offenders could be fined up to $50 per animal for sale.
— Bianca Phillips
