By Elisa Black-Taylor
According to a July 9 post by ABC10 News, the San Diego City Council has now banned the sale of dogs, cats and rabbits on a retail level. This means that a person looking for a new pet can no longer go into a pet store or other commercial business in the city and buy a pet.
Los Angeles has already passed this ordinance, and now San Diego becomes the second largest city in the nation with such a ban. There are a dozen cities in California who have a similar ban.
This has not been an easy issue for San Diego. Dozens of protestor’s from both sides gathered before city hall on Tuesday to express their opinion.
Those who welcome the bill see it as a way for more shelter and rescue pets to find a home, while at the same time cutting down on pets that came from a puppy mill type environment. Once the ordinance passes a second reading, all animals sold will have to come from a shelter, rescue organizations, animal control, code compliance officials or city employees.
This second reading will likely pass, as the first was approved by unanimous vote.
The amendment to the ordinance reads:
“unlawful for any person to display, offer for sale, deliver, barter, auction, give away, transfer or sell any live dog, cat or rabbit in any pet shop, retail business or other commercial establishment located in the city of San Diego, unless the dog, cat or rabbit was obtained from a city or county animal shelter or animal control agency, a humane society or a nonprofit rescue organization.”
David Salinas of San Diego Puppy, says he will go to court or state legislators if the amendment passes the second reading.
Salinas, as well as many others, believe the revised ordinance will hurt the honest pet shop owners who get the pets they sell from reputable breeders.
Those who support the ban hope it will stop the number of puppy mills dogs that come into California from other states. The ban isn’t meant to hurt the small business owner, but to get an upper hand in puppy mill type situations.
Private breeders who adopt to the public won’t be affected. Neither will those who offer non-profit adoption (like PetSmart and Petco), because they work through partnership with rescue groups local to their area.
Pet shop owners believe more effort should be made in preventing the sale of puppy mill dogs, rather than creating laws that hurt small business owners. Some pet shop owners will most likely be forced out of business when this takes effect.
Readers, what are your thoughts on banning the sale of dogs and cats (as well as rabbits) by privately owned pet shop owners? Is this another attempt at big government to push aside the small business owner, or will the ban help prevent the mass sale if animals, which will most likely improve the quality of pets sold to the residents in the city of San Diego?
I feel strongly about this because animals in pet shops are treated as a commodity which is wrong. I think its fantastic news and they should do it in the UK as well. Pet shop owners sell to un-vetted people who are going to to God knows what to the animal. The pet shops only think about profit NOT animal welfare. The animal is sold un-neutered, possibly sick. Why allow the sale of pets from pet shops when rescue centres are constantly full to bursting point? It makes absolutely perfect sense to ban the sale then the rescues can re-home healthy neutered animals.
I know this sounds harsh but if a pet shop could go out of business because of this then you are selling too many animals and not enough pet food etc so sorry but tough.