Brick, NJ Animal Ordinances: Pet Store Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing law
- § 98-70, adopted 2012 (Ord. 16-12)
- Who is covered
- Pet stores, kennels, and their operators
- Exception
- Shelters selling seized/rescued/donated animals
- Max fine
- $2,000 per separate offense
- Max jail
- 90 days, Ocean County Jail
Summary
Brick Township bans pet stores, kennels and their operators from selling, bartering or auctioning dogs and cats. Only shelters, pounds or similar establishments may sell or transfer animals that were seized, rescued or donated: a puppy-mill-style sourcing ban rather than an adoption-only display rule.
No pet store, pet store operator, kennel or kennel operator shall sell, offer for sale, barter, auction, breed or otherwise improperly dispose of cats or dogs, or both, in the Township of Brick. Nothing contained herein shall prohibit a shelter, pound or other establishment from keeping, displaying, selling or otherwise transferring any cat or dog, or both, that has been seized, rescued or donated.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4577344; v53 updated 2025-12-09; through 12-09-2025).
Full Breakdown
Adopted in 2012 as Article XII of the Animals chapter, § 98-70 flatly prohibits any pet store, pet store operator, kennel or kennel operator from selling, offering for sale, bartering, auctioning, breeding or otherwise improperly disposing of cats or dogs in the Township of Brick. The article carves out one exception: shelters, pounds or similar establishments may keep, display, sell or transfer cats or dogs that were seized, rescued or donated. A 'pet store' is defined as a retail establishment engaged in selling cats or dogs at retail; a seller that only transfers animals bred and reared on its own premises counts as a breeder, not a pet store, and falls outside the ban.
Violations & Fines
Violators face a fine up to $2,000 per offense, confinement in the Ocean County Jail up to 90 days, community service up to 90 days, or any combination, at the Municipal Court Judge's discretion. Each day a violation continues is a separate offense, and courts may issue a restraining order or injunction to abate it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a pet store in Brick Township sell dogs or cats?
What is the penalty for violating Brick's pet store sales ban?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Brick
Compare Brick to another location·View the New Jersey animal ordinances overview
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Pet Store Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle pet store rules.