NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – The City of North Myrtle Beach gave final approval Monday to an ordinance that would ban dog and cat sales at commercial businesses. The sweeping animal welfare ordinance prohibiting commerical dog and cat sales is the first of its kind in South Carolina, according to North Myrtle Beach Councilwoman Nikki Fontana. While the ordinance passed at Monday’s regular council meeting now makes it against the law for businesses to sell dogs and cats in city limits, it allows a pet shop or business to provide space to an animal shelter for adoption opportunities. Several other areas of animal welfare and safety are also addressed in the ordinance, including the treatment of animals. The new ordinance now makes it illegal in North Myrtle Beach to have a dog tethered between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., or when the owner/keeper of the dog is not present. Tethers must also be at least ten feet in length or greater than four times the length of the dog’s body from the tip of its nose to base of its tail. Logging chains, tow chains or tethers that cause injury or pain to dogs are also prohibited. Owners will also no longer be able to keep a dog exposed “to the elements for a duration of longer than 15 minutes and not in visual range and physical presence of the owner.” The ordinance also outlines appropriate shelter requirements for animals, specifically for dogs left outside unattended. Exotic animals are also addressed in the sweeping ordinance. The language passed makes it unlawful to sell, give away, barter, or exchange exotic animals. Exotic animals, as defined in the ordinance, include buut are not limited to crocodiles, anacondas, boas, burmese pythons, cobras, pit vipers and all snake species whose adult length could exceed eight feet in length.
