Photo: CamperGirl, Flickr
Those worried about the number of designer dogs ending up at California shelters will be heartened by the news that the West Hollywood City Council is moving closer to approving a ban on certain kinds of pet sales. According to DVM Newsmagazine, the city council members approved upon "first reading" an ordinance proposed by council member Jeffrey Prang that prohibits the sale of dogs and cats within pet stores. The ordinance must undergo a second reading next week and, if approved, will take effect in March.
The discussion was ignited after an investigation of a West Hollywood pet store, Elite Animals, uncovered evidence that the owner was not only allegedly selling puppy mill dogs, but also illegally importing animals for resale.
The ordinance, which can be downloaded from the West Hollywood City Council agenda is full of troubling facts and statistics related to the sales of dogs and cats. One startling detail: "A review of state and USDA inspection reports from more than 100 breeders who sold animals to the nation's largest retail pet store chain revealed that more than 60 percent of the inspections found serious violations of basic animal care standards, including sick or dead animals in their cages, lack of proper veterinary care, inadequate shelter from weather conditions, and dirty, unkempt cages that were too small."
Carole Davis of the Companion Animal Protection Society (CAPS) told WeHo News that the "Companion Animal Protection Society assisted the Animal Legal Defense Fund and the City of West Hollywood in drafting the ordinance, as well as providing evidence." The ordinance rules that pet stores who currently sell cats and dogs have until Sep. 17, 2010 to "sell, offer for adoption, barter, auction, giveaway or otherwise transfer cats and dogs". The ordinance doesn't affect shelters or rescue organizations that often ask for an adoption fee when finding homes for their animals. It also doesn't affect actual breeders who sell or adopt out their litters on their own.
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its not a ban, you can just go buy one some where else. The government needs to stop regulating everything, . People of hollywood come to me and i will sell you anything you want. government has better things to do than regulate puppies and kitty cats
I have said for many years that the answer to shelter over crowding is to regulate the number of animals that are allowed to be born. Look in your local classified ads--the number of puppies for sale is staggering. When the economy gets bad, the breeders increase the amount of pups and lower the price a little to sell more to make up for the bad economy. Also - make it against the law to pen or chain dogs 24/7. If that were against the law, alot of people wouldn't even think about getting a dog. In my neighborhood a few years ago a family got a cute little beagle puppy that they tried to train in the house for about a month. The poor little thing was tied up on the deck for about 2 weeks, barking for attention. Then he was moved to the back yard (still barking for attention) and finally ended up behind the garage tied up so he couldn't even see his family at all. I always stopped to visit him and check up on him and we finally gave him a home at our house. The lady was so glad to "be rid" of him. He is the best dog in the world.
I made her promise not to get another puppy. So far, so good. That was 6 years ago. Please, treat your animals with care!! God is watching us!
Geesh - the answer to shelter problems is:
1. get rid of the limit laws and work on IF there's a problem for neighbors or abuse.
2. stop the import of dogs BY rescue groups into the US!
3. educate John Q Public about dogs and their behavior.
4. educate your idiot shelter people so they are more cognizant of what they adopt and to whom!!!!
NAH - that's sensible. The ARses (Animal Rights freaks) are more interested in banning animal ownership!!!!!
This is directed at "r". I suppose that all of those loving animals that are put down every day don't mean a thing to you. It's people like you, who are the reason why perfectly good animals are euthanized every day. Please ,do yourself a favor and don't adopt an animal. You'll probably kill it in the first week. After all, you've already killed other animals with your coldheartedness (sorry if I spelled that wrong).
Puma2-12-2010 @ 5:44PM
This is directed at "r". I suppose that all of those loving animals that are put down every day don't mean a thing to you. It's people like you, who are the reason why perfectly good animals are euthanized every day. Please ,do yourself a favor and don't adopt an animal. You'll probably kill it in the first week. After all, you've already killed other animals with your coldheartedness (sorry if I spelled that wrong)***********************************************************************. Puma,Don't worry about the spelling, you were absolutely right. Too many pets are being abused and abandoned, if I had my way we would chain up the scum that run these puppy mills and let the dogs urinate on their legs. Anyone that has no regard for an animals comfort and feelings, and contributes in anyway to their discomfort is a coward, a dirty coward at that. Good for you for speaking out Puma, you will be amply rewarded for you're kindness someday.
This is wonderful news. I wish every city in America would follow suit. I would love to see puppy mills shut down.
Lisa, Well said. Playing on the heart strings of innocent children, parents feeling like they are "rescuing" pet store animals....For people wishing to responsibly own an animal: research, study & please educate yourselves 1st & then know you can handle the long term commitment to caring properly for an animal; IE: temperaments of different breeds, diet, vet care, training, exercise, time available to give to your pet.... Sherbear
FINALLY! This could be a real way to help end puppy mills... please see the story of the book our 10 year old wrote about puppy mills... www.lillysstory.com
When the citizens of West Hollywood meet their council members,:
Are they required to salute and say Heil or say Comrade?
WONDERFUL!! It's about time the sale of dogs and cats was banned from selling in pet stores. When you buy a pet from a pet store, you are purchasing a pet from a cruel puppy mill full of diseases and sickness. They get you because they look so cute and you feel sorry for them. Whalla, the keep stocking the shelves from your pity. I just hope ALL cities will do this. Great idea!!!
I realize that there are too many animals out there without homes, but the West Hollywood council once again are embracing the nanny state. In the name of whatever social ill, we are undermining and destroying individual liberties. Statism is going to destroy America in a avalanche of laws, regulations and ordinances.
The West Hollywood, California Ban on sale of dogs and cats is probably a good idea for a quick cure, hopefully only temporary, but pretty heavy handed. The ban was "ignited" by the discovery that one chain of pet stores bought puppies from a horrible collection of puppy mills that were guilty of raising puppies in deplorable conditions, not feeding and caring for them properly and using methods of sound animal husbandry. No mention of any arrests or fines for the breeders was mentioned though. Why not? How about putting the blame where it belongs? On the owners and operators of the "Puppy Mills".
This is an awesome thing they are doing. I just hope it comes through. Granted people will still buy elsewhere but if it even changes one persons mind about needing a designer dog, or saves one animals life-its so worth it. I live in Miami, FL. They kill on a typical day 100+animals. This is a cold FACT. Its sick.
This ban is humane towards the animals and demonstrates a higher level of conscientiousness that what has been expected so far. I think that moving in this direction is a start but does nothing in comparison to what remains to be accomplished.
carmen i agree. i also commend you on the use of conscientiousness. lol. for all those here that agree with the ban of puppy mills, GO to your local humane society. even if you just gave $5 or a pack of paper towels, they would be happy. also if you donate in person, you can go play with the dogs and cats. i have a rescued border collie/aussie shepard. hes been abused and is skiddish around kids, hes still an awesome animal. hes now 10 or so. when hes gone, i think i will adopt another older dog. most are potty trained and dont tear up your house. to ANY of you that have ANYTHING to say about us beef eaters.....im very much for the humane methods in which cattle are slaughtered.
I think sales or cats and dogs should be allowed at pet stores, but they should only be allowed to sell the animals that are supplied to them from the pound. There are a lot of good animals there and bringing them into the stores for everyone to see is a better idea than only having supplies.
It is unfortunate that such laws have to be passed. Sadly there will always be cold monsters without consciences to run puppy mills as long as there are people STUPID enough to buy "the cute little puppy in the window" and buying a puppy while totally blind to the responsibilities they are taking on and clueless about that breed. I love dogs and I have yet to hear of a perfect breed and a buyer has to know ALL about that particular breed before deciding to buy that puppy - - - the physical and emotional needs of that breed, behavior that is particular to that breed, how much they bark, how big that cute little puppy will end up growing to, whether they are not great around little kids, etc. etc. etc. AND if that puppy is actually healthy---physically or emotionally before buying him. Doing whatever it takes to close down the puppy mills is about protecting the lives of dogs, not the silly humans who don't know any better.
3 of my family's last six pets were purchased in a pet store ( 2 were purchased from breeders, and one little scamp showed up on the front stoop and refused to go away). the pet store "purchases" were and are healthy, loving, cheerful and friendly. Not only don't I not regret buying them, I am so thankful that I did. Of the two purchased from recommended and seemingly reputable breeders, one had severe anti-social behavioral issues and the other was diagnosed at the ripe old age of one with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. We put up with the former's willful incontinence for 16 years, and we so adored the latter that we spared no expense to treat his disease, taking him to a veterinary cardiologist at a specialized care center regularly and administering 3 different medicines every day twice a day for nearly four years (arranging our schedules so someone was home at 8 am and 8 pm on the dot come hell or high water). We did everything humanly possible to ensure he had a full and happy life for as long as possible and are grateful for every moment we had with him.
After he passed we took time to mourn, and began checking into different breeders when a friend called us from a pet store and suggested we come down and "just look" at a pet the same breed as the one we had lost, who looked very like him. We argued as a family about it, but decided to "just look". By the time we got there the lookalike was sold and gone. They had a second one of the same breed, whose coloring was very different, but who was sooo sweet and loving that he won us over. We had our regular vet and our vet cardiologist give him thorough exams and he was judged healthy. We've since bought him a "sister" from the same pet store. Both healthy as horses and pure delights. Regret buying them? NO.
A great idea, maybe they shouldn't let individuals sell pets. Maybe just animal shelters.
cathy, be careful of what you wish for, you seem to be the type that wants the govt. to totally control/tell/you how to live your life,you need to think for your self, poor thing you