Manatee County revisits whether to allow retail pet sales after ban last year

BRADENTON, Fla. - The Manatee County commission is revisiting whether to allow retail pet sales following the board's meeting Tuesday.

In one of his first moves since being elected in November, Commissioner Mike Rahn proposed asking the County Attorney to draft an ordinance that would repeal the county's ban on retail sales of dogs and cats that went into effect last year.

The law is facing a legal challenge from Petland stores in Bradenton and Sarasota. County Attorney William Clague expressed concern that the county could be facing a long, expensive battle.

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"There's no there is nothing out there says we're going to win or we're going to lose. But if we do lose, then the damages could be significant to Manatee County and Manatee County taxpayers," Rahn said.

A judge has granted a stay on the law while the lawsuit is in limbo, allowing pet sales to continue for now.

Animal rights activists, many of whom pushed for the ban, lined up to urge commissioners to leave it in place.

"I am very discouraged," said Traci Lipton, who spoke during public comment. "It's not even about this commission and their feelings. We, the people of this county, have fought for this for over ten years."

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"It was an embarrassment. We're not going away," added Shannon Spring. "I can't think of any other creatures than puppies that cannot advocate for themselves."

Clague told commissioners, if they decide they want to eliminate the ban, they should decide soon because the longer the legal battle continues, the more it will cost taxpayers.