An Ohio Senate committee has added an amendment to a tax cleanup bill that would override local ordinances regulating pet stores. The amendment follows a vote last March by the city council in Grove City creating an ordinance allowing pet stores to purchase animals only from shelters and rescue groups, and banning them from getting animals from puppy mills. That ordinance was in response to citizen complaints about the pet store chain Petland, which critics say gets its animals from puppy mills. The amendment inserted by majority Republicans says regulating pet stores is an issue of general interest that requires state regulation. Critics say the amendment is an example of how businesses use campaign contributions to further their interests at the expense of the general public.
State Lawmakers Targeting Grove City's Puppy Mill Ordinance
