Porter County communities are looking to crack down on puppy mills.
Valparaiso City Attorney Patrick Lyp says he's begun looking into what steps the city could take, after concerns were raised with a new business that recently opened.
"I did do some additional research and found out other communities in Northwest Indiana have adopted ordinances in line with the Northwest Indiana Humane Society, and I've reached out to other communities and gotten copies of ordinances other communities have adopted," Lyp told the city council Monday.
Lyp said the city has reached out to the business owner for more information. Residents speaking at Monday's city council meeting worried that a lack of restrictions on puppy mills could cause breeders to move to the area from other states and lead to more dogs in local shelters.
Portage already regulates pet shops through the city's board of works, but city council member Scott Williams said there are continuing concerns about one store's source of puppies. "The ordinance committee is considering changing the existing ordinance to address those puppy mills. Nothing decided at this point, just letting you know that it's in discussion," Williams said during last week's council meeting.
Porter County Commissioner Laura Blaney is looking to take similar action on the county level. "We have several, several rescues and shelters in Porter County that do fantastic work. We've got some really responsible breeders here. There are plenty of places to find a pet," Blaney noted during Tuesday's commissioners meeting.
Discussions are likely to continue at future meetings.
