CAMPBELL – George Levendis had a simple and straightforward message for those who improperly and illegally breed dogs in the city.

“It’s going to stop,” Levendis, city council president, said after Wednesday’s regular council meeting. “Illegal breeding in the city of Campbell is going to stop.”

To add a bit of bite to his words, council gave a first reading at the session to an ordinance designed to prohibit and penalize those who breed, sell and transfer unaltered animals within city limits. Specifically, the legislation lists dogs, cats, ferrets, rabbits, reptiles, exotic animals, snakes, birds and chickens and wildlife.

The measure’s overarching goals are to crack down on unscrupulous backyard and hobby breeders, along with those who are negligent and reckless.

It also calls for the elimination of such unethical practices, as well as the reduction of animal overpopulation, cruelty and neglect, protection of animal welfare, promotion of responsible ownership and assurance that animals are obtained via licensed and humane means.

Uncontrolled and unscrupulous breeding practices of dogs and other companion animals contributes to overpopulation, higher euthanasia rates and a greater strain on municipal resources, the ordinance states.

Penalties for intentional breeding, a first-degree misdemeanor, include a fine up to $1,000 and imprisonment for up to six months and mandatory spaying and neutering. Sanctions for reckless or negligent breeding include a $750 fine for first offenses and fines up to $1,000 and / or six months imprisonment for second offenses.

In addition, the ordinance prohibits the act of publicly advertising, posting or listing animals for sale or transfer, with violators facing fines up to $1,000.

The measure also makes it unlawful for anyone to separate puppies from their mothers before age 9 weeks and kittens before 12 weeks, whether the litters are intentional or not.

The ordinance also is the latest in a series of moves city officials have made to protect animals. The others provide specific and detailed rules pertaining to tethering and enclosures for them.

About a year ago, police investigated a report of abuse and neglect of a teenage girl at a Van Buren Avenue residence, where they reported having found 22 dogs, primarily pit bull mixes, in the home, which was in deplorable condition. The animals were in poor health and severely neglected, with many of them found in cages and crates without ample room to move. The dogs also had little or no food and water, the report stated.