Puppy Peddlers A Growing Oklahoma Problem

By Jacqueline Sit, The News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Every day the Central Oklahoma Humane Society gets nearly a dozen calls about people illegally selling puppies along metro streets.

"We at the Oklahoma Humane society field complaints all the time from people who purchase puppies in this manner, and the puppy gets home and it is very, very sick or dies and there's really nothing that can be done," said Christy Counts, president of Central Oklahoma Humane Society.

It's a problem plaguing Oklahoma City that is found in Tulsa as well. A majority of the puppies for sale on street corners are from either puppy mills or rural areas

"Essentially they're stealing from the city because they're not paying sales tax on these puppies. They don't have permits and what they're doing is illegal under city code," Counts said.

One man from Tecumseh, who was selling puppies in Oklahoma City Saturday, said he wasn't aware street side sales meant he was breaking the law.

"I didn't know that. I'm surprised. I mean, I see people standing out on the food with the will work for food signs bumming money off people, and I'm not trying to bum no free money. I have an item. It's for sale," he said. "I live out in the country. You don't need permits for nothing."

The Tecumseh man said his goal was to find his pug puppies a new home.

"I didn't know you needed a permit to sell something that was yours that you own," he said.

A lot of people like the Tecumseh man don't know they need to have a permit to sell their pets, and police said if you get caught, there's a hefty fine of up to $500.

"You could be in violation of the ordinance, and right, you can be subject to a fine regardless if the puppies are yours or if they're part of a business," said Oklahoma City Police Capt. Patrick Stewart.

Police said the puppy peddlers have become such a problem that police are asking the public to call 911 to help crack down on the illegal sales. Officials with the Humane Society said they believe as soon as Oklahoma City police start issuing citations there will be a dramatic decrease. In fact, in Austin, Texas, when police started citing people, the problem went away almost immediately.