The village of Wickford in North Kingstown. Photo: Sarah Noonan (Wikivoyage), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Pet stores in North Kingstown will no longer be allowed to sell dogs, cats or rabbits starting Jan. 1, and a Post Road store that sells puppies says the rule could put it out of business.
The Town Council voted 5-0 Monday night to adopt the ordinance on its second and final reading, after a public hearing with about 28 speakers, according to a recap of the meeting by Uprise RI based on the council’s recording. Council members Linnea Drew, Elizabeth Hill Ross, Matthew McCoy and Kimberly Page and Council President Gregory Mancini all voted yes.
What the ordinance does
The measure amends Chapter 3 of the town code to bar retail sales of dogs, cats and rabbits. The town solicitor told the council its definitions mirror state law, but the town’s definition of a pet retail store goes further, covering canine training facilities, grooming salons and dog daycares so that sales can’t shift to those businesses. Added language is meant to stop a hobby breeder from selling out of a pet store.
As drafted, the ban would have taken effect immediately with no transition. McCoy, who introduced the ordinance, amended his motion to push the start date to Jan. 1, 2027, after a colleague asked about animals already in stock. There is no grandfather clause. Mancini said a transition period was appropriate.
Birds, fish, reptiles and other animals are not covered. A council member said so directly after representatives of the American Federation of Aviculture raised concerns about bird sales.
The store at the center of it
The ordinance grew out of months of protests outside Fish Bowl Aquarium and Pet Mart on Post Road, which sells puppies. Owner Mickey Marabello told NBC 10 that dogs, cats and rabbits make up about half the store’s income and that he expects he’ll have to close and try to get out of his lease. He said the breeders he buys from are licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and have been audited several times.
The state Department of Environmental Management’s Animal Health Unit made several unannounced visits to the store and found no evidence of violations, WPRI 12 reported. Supporters of the ban have argued that meeting legal standards isn’t the same as humane conditions, and that the broader concern is the commercial breeding operations that supply pet stores.
Store employees and an owner told the council they had been harassed by members of the public during the dispute. The owner said the business has lost eight employees and has called police at least twice. Mancini apologized to the owners for the harassment from the dais.
West Warwick also limits retail animal sales, but its ordinance exempts stores that were already operating, Marabello noted. North Kingstown chose not to.
Who spoke
Supporters cited online petitions with more than 1,600 and 1,700 signatures, and a written statement from Todd Cramer, president of the Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, was read into the record in favor. Mancini said the most persuasive testimony came from resident Dawn Taylor-Church, who told the council the community overwhelmingly backs the ban.
The Pet Advocacy Network, a trade group, urged the council to regulate standards of care instead of banning sales and objected to the lack of a transition period. Some residents said the decision should be left to buyers, who can choose a shelter if they prefer.
Part of a wider trend
Retail pet sale bans have spread through cities and states over the past decade, usually framed as a way to cut demand for puppies from large commercial breeders. Supporters point people to shelters, rescues and breeders who sell directly. Opponents say the bans mostly close small independent stores while doing little to change how animals are bred.
In North Kingstown, the effect lands most directly on Fish Bowl, which has seven weeks to adjust. The council’s next meeting is Nov. 23.
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