Ordinance will limit pet sales

Would-be pet peddlers outside Spokane but within Spokane County had better think twice about trying to sell that kitten in the grocery store parking lot.

Beginning Jan. 1, it will be illegal to sell animals on public property or on private property that’s open to the public. The new ordinance affects Spokane Valley, Cheney, Millwood, Fairchild Air Force Base and the unincorporated parts of the county.

Pets sold on the street usually are not neutered or vaccinated and add to the pet overpopulation problem, Nancy Hill, director of the Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service, said Thursday in a news release.

Violating the ordinance the first time is a civil infraction and brings a $76 fine. The fine for the second offense jumps to $114, and a third offense within a 12-month period is considered a criminal misdemeanor and carries a $1,000 fine and/or 90 days in jail.