Two ordinances seeking to modify laws regarding the sale of pets in the township and related enforcement codes were heard for a first reading at Tuesday evening’s council meeting.

The sale ordinance seeks to prohibit any pet store operator or pet store from selling, delivering, offering for sale, bartering, auctioning or otherwise improperly disposing of cats or dogs in the Township of Brick. However, the ordinance does not apply to legally existing nonconforming pet stores, or shelters, pounds or other establishments from keeping, displaying, selling or otherwise transferring any cat or dog that has been seized, rescued or donated.

Penalties for violating this ordinance are proposed to be $2,000 per each offense, 90 days of incarceration in the Ocean County Jail or 90 days of community service — as determined by a municipal judge.

The enforcement ordinance will see that all applications for pet licenses are properly filled out and signed by applicants, and kept on file for three months. At the same time, that information will be forwarded on a monthly basis to the State Department of Health.

Though the ordinances have only been heard on first reading to this point, a second reading and subsequent public hearing for these proposed laws will take place at the next township council meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, July 10 at 7 p.m. in the chambers of the Brick Township Municipal Complex.

These ordinances come soon after state legislators Sen. Jim Holzapfel, plus Assemblymen David Wolfe and Gregory McGuckin (all R-Ocean) introduced the “Healthy Puppies and Kittens Assurance Act”, which seeks to levy strict regulations on pet stores who sell their animals from puppy and kitten mill breeders.

Legislation of this nature is also in response to the discovery and removal of just over three dozen ill puppies at a local pet store named Puppies Galore back in January. The owner and manager of that establishment — Maria De Santis, of Old Bridge and Nathan “Nat” Sladkin, of Farmingdale, respectively — are both facing animal cruelty charges in connection with the condition of the Hooper Avenue store.