Fountain Pet Store To Continue Selling Dogs & Cats
Critics of Fountain’s only pet store were unsuccessful Tuesday in their efforts to end the sales of puppies and kittens there.
After a three-hour public hearing that included heated debate on both sides, the City Council voted 6-1 to allow Valley Pets to continue selling the animals for at least another six months. The Council plans to review the store’s status then.
Valley Pets, owned by David Neverette and open for 30 years, has been criticized for improper animal care, bad odors and citizen complaints. Members of an animal welfare group, Animal Advocates of Colorado Springs, said the Colorado Department of Agriculture has a file with 300 complaints about the store.
It’s unclear over what period of time the complaints were filed. However, Neverette said some of the complaints were dismissed by inspectors or filed anonymously. He said he can’t please everyone, but promised to improve his business operations.
Council members were divided about concerns they personally witnessed while visiting the store and on comments they received from local veterinarians. The Council said Neverette always seemed willing to correct any problems once he was notified of them.
The lone opposing vote came from Mayor Jeri Howells.
“I just can’t vote for that motion for six more months,” she said. “But I do hope, if it passes, that six months goes on to having another six months of no complaints against this business. For me, the buck does stop here in Fountain.”
During the hearing, 21 people spoke in support of the store and 14 called for stopping the sale of puppies and kittens. One citizen noted that most of the speakers supporting the store live in Fountain, while most of the opposing speakers live outside the city.
Tempers were short during the hearing. At one point, police stepped in to diffuse an argument between two men. Several times, officers told audience members to be quiet.
Both sides also debated whether Valley Pets could successfully remain in business without selling dogs and cats. Neverette said he couldn’t. Some animal welfare groups said 53 pet stores in Colorado no longer sell the animals, but 200 still do.
The Council was considering whether to grandfather Valley Pets in under a new ordinance adopted last May. That ordinance bans the sale of display of dogs and cats on sidewalks, parking lots and other public areas, and in new stores. The Council sought to prohibit the sale of pets that may come from pet mills or irreputable breeders.
Some business owners expressed concern about the ordinance, saying that it sets a dangerous precedent for other small businesses and would discourage new businesses from coming to town.
