Clark County Commissioner Wants to Crack Down on Illegal Backyard Pet Breeding | Clark County

A Clark County commissioner wants to crack down on illegal pet breeding that officials say is contributing to the overpopulation crisis at animal shelters.

According to Commissioner Michael Naft, this is because the current law does not provide for enforcement mechanisms.

“I want to make sure that what we are doing has real impact and is actually effective,” he said at Tuesday’s County Council meeting.

Staff were instructed to consider amending the law so that it could be put to a vote at a future date.

Currently, the district only issues “breeder/exhibition” permits, which oblige dog and cat breeders to exhibit their animals in official competitions at least once a year.

Under county regulations, there is a limit on the number of animals you can own, and they must be kept in a “clean, healthy and safe environment.”

There were fewer than 300 active permits this week, Naft said.

People caught breaking the law, such as “backyard breeding,” are subject to a $500 fine or reimbursement of the cost of the animal if it is sold.

Naft has suggested tougher penalties and a cap on the number of licenses the county can issue. On Thursday, he said he was open to a moratorium on licensing.

Naft said he wants the county to implement technology to help catch criminals, similar to what is used to identify short-term rental offenders.

According to Naft, the technology could, for example, remove entries from the networks of people illegally selling pets.

In 2023, the city of Las Vegas approved a set of regulations for breeders that include permit fees, reporting of animal injuries and deaths, and mandatory penalties for violators.

The vote came as The Animal Foundation — a shelter partially funded by the county and the cities of Las Vegas and North Las Vegas — struggles with post-pandemic overcrowding and allegations of mismanagement.

In 2022, Clark County commissioners voted to ban the sale of dogs, cats, rabbits and Vietnamese pigs in pet stores. The law went into effect in December.

NAFT proposed Wednesday to re-establish an advisory committee to address animal issues.

Commissioner Marilyn Kirkpatrick has apparently expressed support for amending the Pet Breeding Act.

“There has to be something that lets people know we’re serious,” she said. “First of all, it’s not fair to the animals, and we really have to provide a safe place for them, and that’s getting harder and harder.”

Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at [email protected].