National Breeders, the pet store at the center of a recent village controversy regarding the welfare of puppies, has closed its doors.
Although the “Open” sign outside the location remained lit on the morning of Monday, March 21, the inside of the 154 Mamaroneck Ave. storefront was dark and nearly empty, except for a few animal cages.
The business’ closing coincides with a new local law passed by the village of Mamaroneck, which banned pet stores in the village from selling commercially bred animals. The law states that pet stores may only sell animals that come from animal shelters or humane societies within New York state, a practice known as “the humane model.”
The Mamaroneck pet store, which was taken over and renamed in December by Kevin Casiraghi, a Port Chester resident, has been under scrutiny since its original owner, Richard Doyle, was arrested on animal abuse charges in August 2015. Doyle has had multiple run-ins with law enforcement, and in December 2015, added two felony counts of witness tampering to his list of animal cruelty charges. Doyle and Casiraghi both graduated from Rye High School in 1978, according to old-friends.com, making the store’s ownership change appear suspicious.
Donna Dickerson, a Mamaroneck resident who spearheaded protests against Doyle’s store and educated the public about puppy mills, said she knew that the store would close down once the law was passed.
“I didn’t think [Casiraghi] was going to fight it with lawyers,” she said. Dickerson, who called the day the law passed “the best day ever,” is happy to see change happening within the village after two years of pleading with the village board to address the issue.
Now, Dickerson said that the idea for legislation is spreading to other communities in Westchester County such as Port Chester and Mount Pleasant. She added that towns and villages have reached out to her for help in drafting similar legislation.
In Mamaroneck, many items used used within Natonal Breeders are available for sale on Craigslist under a post titled, “Going out of business sale–pet store,” which was first posted on March 18. Some items for sale include kennel cage banks, a nebulizer, carrier crates of varying sizes, a portable grooming sink, “accessories, pet care, office supplies and retail fixtures.”
Assistant Village Manager Daniel Sarnoff told the Review that he had heard the news of the pet store’s closing, but that the village has not had any communication with the owner.
A representative of National Breeders and Mayor Norman Rosenblum could not be reached for comment as of press time.
