Ocoee Comission adopts ordinance allowing pet store to continue to sell pets

The Ocoee City Commission voted to adopt to exempt Chews-A-Puppy from an ordinance that would ban pet stores from selling dogs, cats and rabbits in their store.

This is in direct contrast to the Orange County ordinance which bans the sale of all pets in stores across the county.  

Speakers from both sides of the debate made their final case, which led to things getting heated at times between speakers and the commission. 

The final vote was 3-2 in favor of the city's ordinance with commissioners Larry Brinson and Rosemary Wilsen, and mayor Rusty Johnson voting to adopt. Commissioners Richard Firstner and George Oliver voted against adopting the ordinance.

Oliver justified his 'no' vote by saying the proposed ordinance had no strength in terms of compliance while Firstner said the ordinance contradicted itself on the issue of compliance. The store would be required to self-report problems to the city.