NBC 7’s Erika Cervantes is live in National City with more details.
The manager of a National City pet store said he is being unfairly targeted by a new ordinance and now he's suing the city over it.
The National City Council approved an ordinance in May requiring any pet store in the city to only sell pets from rescues within the city that also have partnerships with the San Diego Humane Society, the ASPCA, or reputable shelters within the county.
David Salinas, the manager of National City Puppy, said this ordinance would put him out of business.
"We already sell puppies from rescues, but the ordinance is saying we can now open up our store for rescues to come into our stores and sell them out of here, but we can't have any interest, or we can't own them or sell them," Salinas explains. "The only money I can make is selling the doggy beds, which isn't feasible."
City leaders decided to pass the local ordinance after a local group of people raised concerns that they believed some pet shops were not complying with the state law and selling animals from puppy mills.
Salinas said those allegations aren't true, and the dogs sold at his pet store are rescues, and he has the paperwork to prove it. That's why he decided to file the lawsuit
"We understand the opposition and the animal rights extremists, but we need to set some precedence to show we deserve a chance. Every puppy deserves a loving home," said Salinas.
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Salinas is gathering signatures to put this issue on the ballot. He said he wants the people to decide where they get their pets from.
A spokesperson for National City told NBC 7 they received the lawsuit this morning and cannot comment on pending litigation.
The National City ordinance will go into effect on October 3rd.
