Pet Store Ban in California

One day, any day, animal lover Lisa DeLaurentiis walks into a petstore and is sick. DeLaurentiis hates watching pet-sellers in Palm Beach County sell out-of-town puppies and kittens to new pet owners. Inside, she knows that local shelters are forced to kill hundreds of unwanted dogs and cats each year. She also knows that Pet Store owners know that too.  Recently she couldn’t bear to see this any longer and Tuesday, she called on the county commission to ban the practice.
Ms. Laurentiis was one of eight other residents who pushed the commission to ban this. “We have enough [animals] inside this country,” she says. “We don’t need the 70-plus pet store bringing in unsterilzed, sick dogs and cats from out of this state and out of this country.” Some in the group said they would support allowing pet stores to sell locally bred puppies and kittens as long as the animals were spayed or neutered.
One Commissioner, Shelly Vana, said she was working with county managers on rule changes that would require pet stores to disclose where the puppies and kittens they sell were bred. "As a community, we are judged by how we treat children, elderly and animals," Vana said. "It is on my conscience, a bad thing to know that we are allowing so many animals to be killed.... I don't want to put people out of business but at the same time we are spending a lot of money on doing the wrong thing."
At least two cities across the country recently approved banning the sale of puppies and kittens at pet stores, but county managers say those laws have yet to face legal challenges. "There are significant issues involved," County Attorney Denise Nieman said.
Despite some objection, people across the nation are coming to attention about the pet store situation and whether we like it or not, change is coming.
I agree with Ms. DeLauerntiis. Pet stores shouldn’t be bringing more animals into a state that is already over populated. As I researched I happened to glance at the comments column and here is one example of what I found:

“They should shut down the Petland on Northlake first. I went in there by accident one time, not knowing that they sold animals, and wanted to cry/throw-up/scream. The animals were all standing on wire grates, no toys, no food, no water...many were obviously sick. I had to leave before I was in either a full fledged panic attack or I threw up. It was the most awful thing I've ever seen in my life. The conditions at PBC ACC are better. I can't believe anyone would give their money to that company”
~RDC

    I applaud you RDC. I’ve been in many a pet store and what you say is true. At least 25% of stores across the country mistreat their animals. Shelters, on the other hand, don’t. I’m sure that a few, low budget and under-managed shelters do, but definitely not 25%. In fact, the SPCA near where my humans live has a “Kitty Wonderland” set up for their older cats. That’s definitely not mistreatment.

    Here’s another example:

     “So nobody can breed their own pet now that mandatory sterilization is the law, and now we take out the pet stores and allow people to buy only from breeders, whose animals WERE not mandatorily sterilized.
That's quite a breeder lobbying group you've got going on.
Sure it's just to "save the unwanted animals" or is it really all about eliminating unwanted stock so the better bred (non-mutt, pedigree, expensive $$$) animals bring more in terms of cash?
Ca-ching! And we have a winner!
"We have enough inside this county," said Lisa DeLaurentis, one of several residents who proposed the change during today's commission meeting. "We do not need the 70-plus pet stores bringing in unsterilized, sick dogs from out of this state and out of this country."
This, with Moffet's Census story, ought to be linked. Where is the passion against undocumented, often mistreated HUMANS who businesses continue to bring into this state and country to exploit them for cheap labor?
Priorities…”
~MaryG

    Look Mary G, you’re obviously delusional and/or have a mental disorder and belong in a hospital. This is an article about pet stores and how they are shipping in foreign animals, not an article talking about shutting down everything but the breeders, let alone an article about humans. Just FYI, breeders make up a pretty generous part of the pet fanciers society, especially the cats. Getting rid of them could set everything off balance. Besides, I’m not alone in this thinking:

 “Get Real!! You are crazy. Do you know how many animals are killed everyday in shelters. In Dade County alone it’s over 150 per day, due to no space. Palm Beach County isn't good either. For your undocumented workers, that’s another issue that has nothing to do with this. If they weren't here illegally in the first place, they wouldn't be mistreated. Now get busy saving innocent animals!!!!”

That’s one, here’s another:

“Mandatory sterilization is NOT a law...increased tag fees for unsterilized animals is a law in hope to get people to spay/neuter their animals. Licenses for breeders is a law. No where in this county are you forced by law to sterilize your animal. Get your facts straight before commenting. This article is about animals, not humans, go vent somewhere else.”

So, as you can see, I’m pretty “fired up” about this topic and so are others. Those exerpts are real comments and those, defiantely aren’t the only ones. It’s been bugging me for ages and I’m glad someone’s finally making a move to fix this situation. I’ve said before and I’ll say it again: Change is coming, whether you’re delusional like Mary G or not, it’s time we all stood up and fixed our pet stores.

Sources:

•  “Group calls for ban on pet store sale of dogs and cats in Palm Beach County” 3/11/10, The Palm Beach Post, web address: http://www.palmbeachpost.com/accent/pets/group-calls-for-ban-on-pet-store-sale-335298.html