GLOUCESTER TWP. -- They'll never know, but the dogs and cats suffering silently in "atrocious" conditions as they are bred on mills only to be sold for profit at pet stores have a forever friend in Camden County.
On Thursday, county and municipal officials gathered with animal activists to announce "Norman's Law," which will prohibit pet stores in Camden County from selling animals that can be traced back to mass breeders.
"Seventy five percent of homes in Camden County have a cat or dog," said Freeholder Jeffrey Nash, who appeared at the podium with "Norman," who he adopted from the county shelter in Blackwood five years ago after the dog was found wandering the streets of Camden.
The ordinance, to be voted on the next county freeholder meeting on Sept. 17, would then need to be adopted by individual municipalities. Stores located in those towns would then be visited by county health department employees to verify the source of the pets for sale.
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And that's the rub: Activists claim pet stores frequently purchase animals at a lower price from breeders who then go through "brokers" to conceal the true source of the animals that often develop serious heath issues at a young age.
"To make this initiative work, municipalities need to step up," Gloucester Township Mayor David Mayer said of the effort that only three county-level governing bodies in the country have under taken.
Between two and four million puppies sold every year come from mills, presenters said Thursday. Kathleen Schatzmann, director of the Humane Society of the United States' New Jersey chapter, said investigations at mills have revealed neglected, ill and injured dogs living in "filthy conditions."
Although county officials stopped short of naming specific pet stores that will be affected by the ordinance, animal activists had no reservations about taking one operation to task.
Jamie Landsman, who purchased her dog "Alice" from Pat's Pups, in Ocean County, is facing mounting medical bills and untold emotional havoc as a result of taking in a dog that was seemingly healthy at first.
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Pat's Pups recently opened a second location in Cherry Hill and has been the scene of recent repeated protests, as activists claim the store was dealing with a puppy mill.
During a July interview with NJ Advance Media, owner Pat Youman said the animals were coming from an Amish breeder his father has dealt with 2007. Further, Youman said the breeders had an aversion to technology and didn't want any pictures taken with smart phones.
County officials and others gathered Thursday said that the Amish are notorious for operating unchecked puppy mills. The veterinarian initially contacted by Pat's Pups to provide a check-up of the dogs for sale in Cherry Hill recently backed out when he learned of the possible link to a breeder.
However, the undisputed man of the hour was Alan Braslow, a Cherry Hill resident who promised protests at the store along Route 70 until something changed. Braslow, who received repeated rounds of lengthy applause, contacted Nash roughly one month ago and Thursday's gathering was the result of 30 days of work.
Per the ordinance, stores would have 90 days to comply with the new law. To repopulate their stores, animals would need to be sourced from shelters or other rescue organizations.
Although county health inspectors would be paying visits to verify information regarding the animals for sale, "The burden of proof is on the owner of the store," Nash said when asked about researching the possibility of middle men to obscure the animal's true source.
According to county officials, taxpayers stand to benefit, as the county animal shelter network that contracts with 15 municipalities is filled to capacity. Roughly 1,500 shelter animals in the county are euthanized annually.
"This ordinance would not only crack down on cruelty in puppy mills, but would also give homeless cats and dogs in Camden County a greater chance of finding a home," said Schatzmann.
Greg Adomaitis may be reached at gadomaitis@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregAdomaitis. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.