New Moses Lake ordinance regulates animal sales

MOSES LAKE — Sales of animals on public property and on private property open to the public will be prohibited under the terms of a new ordinance approved by the Moses Lake City Council on Oct. 8.

Council member Victor Lombardi said he has received numerous complaints from constituents about the practice of selling animals in high-traffic areas around town, notably along Stratford Road.

“I would say this particular issue has been in the top four,” Lombardi said.

The new ordinance prohibits sales on city sidewalks, public rights-of-way and alleys. “Private property open to the public” includes parking lots, sidewalks and vacant lots.

Sales will be allowed on private property not open to the public, at legally permitted pet shops and kennels and at any humane society or animal shelter.

Lombardi said he thought the ordinance was the right response.

“Having it unregulated, on the street, out of trucks, not knowing the condition of the animals, was really unacceptable,” he said.

 People who violate the ordinance could be fined up to $1,000, and property owners that allow sales also are subject to fines of up to $1,000, according to the ordinance.

“Pretty short ordinance and a pretty stiff penalty,” City Attorney Katherine Kenison said during the council meeting.

Council Member Deanna Martinez asked if businesses would be required to post notices that animal sales are now illegal. Kenison said it would be helpful but isn’t required.

Martinez also asked about enforcement, and whether businesses or individuals will get a notice before they’re fined. Moses Lake Police Chief David Sands said there’s a process.

“The first step in anything is education,” Sands said. “So they will be warned that they cannot be there, and if they continue with the activity they will be fined up to a thousand bucks.”

During the meeting, Lombardi expressed concern that people would try to evade the ordinance. Sands said it would take a while.

“It’s all about changing behaviors,” Sands said. “There will be a time period where we put (notification) out about what we’re trying to do, by at some point there will have to be enforcement.”

The ordinance received support from Sara Thompson Tweedy, president of the Grant County Animal Outreach board, during the public comment period.

“I am here to express my gratitude,” Tweedy said. “(Animal outreach) has been impacted by the indiscriminate sale of animals, and it has made it very hard for us to encourage adoption.”

Frequently animals purchased from sellers in a parking lot have ended up at GCAO, she said, which adds to the financial pressure on the shelter.

Bonnie Helvey, a founding member of ARFS of Grant County, said that the organization has had similar experiences. Frequently the dogs coming to ARFS are a few months – or a few years – old.

“That’s heartbreaking because, at 8 weeks of age, we can usually get them placed in a shelter on the west side. It’s tough at 8 (or) 10 months, or 3 years of age. The bigger the dog, the harder it is,” Helvey said.

In a later interview, Tweedy said most of the people attending the meeting were there to hear the discussion and vote.

“It just goes to show the widespread support for it,” Tweedy said. “There was quite a celebration in the hallway afterward.”

Tweedy said she hoped the city would follow up with adequate enforcement.

“Those of us who are in the animal rescue world have been dealing with for a long time,” she said. “This is progress in the right direction, but there are still many steps that need to be made.”

Helvey said the Stratford Road corridor is one of the main areas for sales, and Lombardi expressed concern that sellers would just move down Stratford Road outside the city limits.

Grant County Commissioner Rob Jones said in a later interview that county officials haven’t seen the same level of activity outside the city limits, but that enforcement of a city ordinance might cause sellers to move.

Commissioners will be discussing a similar ordinance to prohibit sales this week, he said.