Fresno County cracking down on illegal dog breeders

The Fresno County Board of Supervisors moved forward with an ordinance aimed at cracking down on illegal breeding on Tuesday.

Supervisors Garry Bredefeld and Brian Pacheco introduced the ordinance, saying illegal backyard breeding has contributed to an abundance of dogs roaming the streets of Fresno County.

"A lot of dumped animals on the side of the road, a lot of them are in bags and boxes, dumped with trash that people are dumping from their home," said Priscilla Wolcott, field supervisor for Fresno Humane Animal Services.

Once the ordinance goes into effect, illegal breeders can be fined $1,000 per dog or cat being sold.

A second violation within one year of the first equals an additional $1,000 fine and up to 6 months in jail.

"I can tell you they're going to stop. We're going to take this very seriously. It's a problem throughout Fresno County. Every city, as expressed by other board members," said Bredfeld.

The ordinance will come back to the board for final approval at their next meeting. It will go into effect in early August.

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