Selling Puppies on Street (San Antonio, Anton: for sale, lease, home)

[Soviet]

I was driving past an intersection in town when I saw a girl with a sign saying "Puppies For Sale". It got my attention & I decided to check it out. She had a number of mixed-breed puppies from the same litter & was asking the high 100's for them.

Is this sort of thing legal? If I buy such a puppy, what would I have to do afterwards? Bring them to a vet & have them registered with the county & whatnot, as well as spayed or neutered?

They looked so cute, but I am aware of "breeding farms" that don't have a dog's best interest at heart.

What do y'all think of selling puppies on the side of the road like that? Have you ever gotten a dog that way?

[robinita]

I got my basset hound from the side of the road and she'll be 15 yrs in a couple weeks. I don't know if I would buy a dog like that now, but I was young and naive then. I think inbreeding is a big concern, but the lady I bought from wasn't in it to make money (she charged very little). At the time (this was in round rock near lakeline mall) there were lots of people selling puppies on the side of the road and I got shady vibes from some of the people but not from the lady I bought from. I mean who knows, maybe she was shady and I just got lucky, but she is a great dog with few health problems for her breed. On the other hand, my inlaws bought a puppy for $5 from traders village and that dog is a lunatic... I feel like high hundreds seems like a lot of money though. Yes, you need to register it and get it fixed and puppies are a lot of work and need lots of attention.

[sapphire]

Don't encourage them by buying the puppies. There are so many unwanted animals already and San Antonio in general has a huge problem. Adopt from Petsmart or Petco or the Humane Society. Pretty sure selling puppies on the sidewalk is illegal anyway but I'm not interested enough to look up the ordinance. It's just disgusting whether legal or not.

[Slowpoke_TX]

I agree 100% with Sapphire.

Many, many people do this just to make money, with no concern whatsoever for the welfare of the animals. Please don't encourage them.

SA already has a huge problem with strays and pet overpopulation, and these people are making it worse. It's much better to adopt from a shelter.

[Azure110]

It wasn't too hard to look up the city's ordinance regarding sale of live animals. If I cared enough to discourage others from buying the animals, then I would look up the ordinance.

It looks the local city code (see below) prohibits the sale of pets from the roadside. All it takes is for someone interested enough to report them.

Sec. 5-11. - Prohibiting selling, displaying animals on roadside, garage sales, flea markets and festivals.

(a)

It shall be unlawful for any person to sell, trade, barter, lease, rent, or give away, any animal on any roadside, public right-of-way, commercial parking lot, garage sale, flea market, festival, park, community center or outdoor public place.

(b)

It shall be unlawful for any person to display for a commercial purpose any animal on any roadside, public right-of-way, commercial parking lot, garage sale, flea market festival, park, community center or outdoor public place.

(c)

This section shall not apply to any tax-exempt non-profit organization founded for the purpose of providing humane sanctuary or shelter for abandoned or unwanted animals or any recognized rescue organization which is currently registered with the department.

(d)

Subsection (b) shall not apply to any person who has obtained a permit and is complying with the specific limitations as set forth in section 5-110 or facilities not required to obtain a permit under subsection 5-110(c).

(e)

Any animal being sold, traded, bartered, leased, rented, or being given away on any roadside, public right-of-way, commercial parking lot, garage sale, flea market, festival, park, community center or outdoor public place shall be subject to seizure and impoundment at the discretion of the investigating animal care officer and shall be subject to adoption, rescue, foster or humanely euthanized at the discretion of the director if not timely redeemed within the impoundment period as set out in this Code by payment of applicable impoundment fees for each animal impounded.

(Ord. No. 2010-06-17-0555, § 1, 6-17-10)

[rynetwo]

Originally Posted by sapphire

Don't encourage them by buying the puppies. There are so many unwanted animals already and San Antonio in general has a huge problem. Adopt from Petsmart or Petco or the Humane Society. Pretty sure selling puppies on the sidewalk is illegal anyway but I'm not interested enough to look up the ordinance. It's just disgusting whether legal or not.

Originally Posted by Azure110

It wasn't too hard to look up the city's ordinance regarding sale of live animals. If I cared enough to discourage others from buying the animals, then I would look up the ordinance.

It looks the local city code (see below) prohibits the sale of pets from the roadside. All it takes is for someone interested enough to report them.

yet you cared enough to look up the ordinance and waste your time just to annoy someone....

[Hedgehog_Mom]

Most puppies are cute but they're a ton of work.


If you want a mix-breed puppy, the best way to get one is to go to the animal control facility and look for one to adopt. They'll have their shots already and be spayed or neutered and have a microchip. They've gotten a lot better about treating for fleas and ticks before the dog comes home with you too.

[sapphire]

Originally Posted by Azure110

It wasn't too hard to look up the city's ordinance regarding sale of live animals. If I cared enough to discourage others from buying the animals, then I would look up the ordinance.

It looks the local city code (see below) prohibits the sale of pets from the roadside. All it takes is for someone interested enough to report them.

So print it out and take it to the puppy seller. I didn't post it because I doubt she's reading this and the old resident "ordinance poster" used to get ridiculed here. LOL! Make up your mind.

[Azure110]

Originally Posted by rynetwo

yet you cared enough to look up the ordinance and waste your time just to annoy someone....

I looked it up because the OP asked if this was legal or not so I didn't think it was a waste of my time.

[Azure110]

Originally Posted by sapphire

So print it out and take it to the puppy seller. I didn't post it because I doubt she's reading this and the old resident "ordinance poster" used to get ridiculed here. LOL! Make up your mind.

You originally said you did not post it because you were not interested enough. Now you have other reasons. I am not the only one that needs to make up my mind.

I posted it because the OP asked if it was legal or not. Go through my post history and see how many times I post city codes and ordinances. Very seldom.