Big news in the animal world! As of January 1st, 2019, all pet stores in California must sell animals from rescue groups and shelters. Hooray! This also means that pet stores can no longer sell commercially bred dogs, cats, and rabbits.
The goal is to seriously hinder pet stores from selling animals bred in puppy mills, breeding operations in which the animals are kept in inhumane, unsanitary conditions to the detriment of the pet’s health. Oftentimes, these puppy mill animals are severely malnourished, abused, overbred, and extremely sick. And some even die in these horrid conditions.
In addition, because animals shelters are so overcrowded, many adoptable and healthy animals are euthanized for space. Hopefully, this new law will save the lives of these pets.
The law, entitled AB 485, also requires each pet store to maintain records sufficient to document the source of each dog, cat, or rabbit the pet store sells and authorizes public animal control agencies or shelters to periodically require pet stores engaged in sales of dogs, cats, or rabbits to provide access to those records. Stores that violate this law will be charged a fine of $500 pet pet.
Steve MacKinnon, San Diego Humane Society Law Enforcement Chief, told NBC 7 San Diego’s Steven Luke, “It takes the emphasis off the profit of animals and puts the emphasis back on caring for and getting these cats and dogs a good home.”
So what do you think about this new law? Do you think it will spread to other states?
