Toronto Bans Pet Stores From Selling Puppy Mill Cats and Dogs
Toronto cracked down on puppy mills this week by voting to ban pet stores from selling puppies and kittens from commercial breeding facilities.
Under the new law, retailers will only be allowed to sell cats and dogs that come from shelters, rescue groups or that were donated. Two currently approved sources are Toronto’s Animal Control Services and the Toronto Humane Society.
Toronto is the second major municipality in Canada to ban the sale of animals from puppy and cat mills. On Thursday, the City Council voted unanimously to pass the measure.
The new regulations come on the heels of the rescue of 527 dogs from a puppy mill in Quebec, in the largest animal cruelty case in the province’s history. Quebec is known as the puppy mill capital of North America.
Council member Glenn De Baeremaker, who introduced the Toronto ban said, “…from coast to coast, we’re going to protect dogs across this country. For all intents and purposes we’ve shut the taps to the puppy mills at retail locations in Toronto.”
“The goal of this motion is to stop animal cruelty,” De Baeremaker continued. “It really slams the door closed on people who mass produce animals for profit.”
De Baeremaker also pointed out how the ban will cut down on the number of pets euthanized at Toronto Animal Services. There will be fewer animals coming into the shelter system and more homeless cats and dogs being adopted at pet shops.
The new regulations will have an impact on licensed dog breeders who will be prohibited from selling kittens and puppies to pet shops. The breeders will be able to sell animals from their own facilities.
Many pet shops in Toronto have voluntarily stopped selling animals from puppy mills. In August, the national chain of PJ’s Pets announced it would no longer sell puppies and instead focus on supporting pet adoptions
Read more:
http://www.care2.com/causes/toronto...g-puppy-mill-cats-and-dogs.html#ixzz1aTgB1w1H
In Los Angeles puppy and kitten mills are banned
The Los Angeles City Council has unanimously approved a motion by Councilmember Koretz that should put an end to the puppy and kitten mills by banning the commercial breeding of dogs, cats, rabbits and chicken and the sale of those animals in pet stores.
Instead animal shelters will work with licensed pet stores to make shelter animals available for adoption at those stores.
Commercial Creation Of Animals Done In Inhumane Conditions
The commercial creation of animals for sale is done in inhumane conditions, creates unhealthy animals and aids animal overpopulation, said Councilmember Koretz’s email.
The City Council ordered the Los Angeles Department of Animal Services to draft the law and create the adoption program. The law also creates a program to publicly and visibly identify stores that excel in meeting rigorous humane requirements and conditions, and it asks the department to arrange frequent adoption drives for shelter animals at licensed pet stores.
According to MyFoxLA.com, Koretz said he unknowingly purchased a “puppy mill” bichon 20 years ago, and it required expensive medical care.
In Shelters, 25 Percent Of Dogs And 50 Percent Of Cats Euthanized
From MyFox/LA.com:
The Department of Animal Services took in about 55,000 animals last year and expects that number to rise this year. It euthanizes about 25 percent of dogs and 50 percent of cats that wind up in shelters.
“We’re not only protecting the animals, but we’re protecting the people in the community, the people who don’t know that when they go into a pet store they are paying hundreds, if not thousands of dollars for an animal that is likely to be sick (or) have genetic defects,” Animal Services General Manager Brenda Barnette said.
Barnette said she knows there are puppy mills in the city, but not how many.
“A lot of them fly under the radar illegally. They’re very clever, and they have their little lookouts and they will move from house to house to house, and move their animals with them and stay one step ahead of law enforcement,” Barnette said.
California Leading The Way
The banning of animal mills, which seems to be where most pet stores get their animals, has been gaining traction but it appears once again that California is leading the way. Toronto is considering a similar law, and Texas has a bill going through the motions that would require more than 11 unspayed female dogs to need a license.
Congratulations, Mr. Koretz!
Read more:
http://www.care2.com/causes/victory-los-angeles-bans-puppy-and-kitten-mills.html#ixzz1aTf82lUj
