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The L.A. County Board of Supervisors passed amendments on Tuesday to an existing ordinance requiring pet breeders and pet owners in Los Angeles County to follow new rules designed to better protect the health of animals, reports KPCC.
Breeders will now have to wait until dogs are at least a year old before breeding them, and no more than 50 unspayed or unneutered dogs over a year old are permitted in one house. "Pet stores also will have to disclose where they animals they sell came from," reports KPCC.
Large-scale animal operations and individual pet owners will be affected by the ordinance that also now mandates tattoos or identifying microchips for puppies by the time they’re four months old. Additionally, It will be illegal for pet owners in L.A. County to tie their dogs to fenceposts or trees for extended periods of time, and it will be illegal to use choke collars to tie dogs to a running line, reports KPCC.
The 15-page ordinance continues with details regarding cleanliness and maintenance of kennels, pet stores, and breeding facilities. The sponsor of this measure is Supervisor Mike Antonovich, says KPCC, "an animal lover who usually presents a pet for adoption at every board meeting." The ordinance takes effect in a month.