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BRECKENRIDGE, Colo. — A Breckenridge woman has successfully lobbied four Colorado municipalities to ban pet stores from selling dogs and cats from puppy mills.  Since June, five municipalities including Berthoud, Breckenridge, Frisco, Dillon and Eagle have passed similar ordinances.

“If you don’t allow the pet stores to sell the puppies and kittens, then puppy mills have no place to sell their animals,” animal activist Joyce Cohen, of Breckenridge said.

Cohen says she has met with leaders in Fairplay, Silverthorne and Colorado Springs and they are considering a potential move.

A national group called the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council has opposed the latest Colorado ordinances.

President and CEO of the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council, Mike Bober, gave FOX31 the following statement:

“We at the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council oppose animal sale bans because shutting down pet stores that are regulated, small local businesses will do nothing to improve animal care practices or stop bad breeders. Bans take away the only pet source that provides legal protections for both animals and the people who purchase them, and eliminate a family’s ability to choose the most suitable pet for their lifestyle—which is the best way to ensure that a pet will be kept for its lifetime. We in the responsible pet care community believe that regular evaluation and improved enforcement of national care standards, and their application to all animal sources, including stores, breeders, shelters and rescues, is the educated and appropriate way to protect companion animals and ensure that everyone can enjoy the benefits of the companionship of a healthy pet.”