Monday, December 31, 2018

California Bans Pet Store Puppy Mill Sales

Some cities have already embraced rules California has adopted state-wide.

Starting January 1, pet stores in California will only be allowed to sell animals from shelters or rescue groups. Pet store owners will now face a $500 penalty per animal if they do not provide records of origin, according to CNN. Californians can still purchase animals from private breeders.

The law was opposed by the American Kennel Club, who said that it would increase the chances of people buying pets that are not a good match.

NO, the AKC did not explain how stopping an impulse buy at a pet store would harm a good match, while forcing folks to find a breeder and maybe "use the Google" would be a bad idea.

The AKC has, however, explained in the past how a significant portion of its budget comes from puppy mills.

In fact, the AKC is so wedded to puppy mills that it created a special computer registration program for puppy mills selling dogs through pet shops -- a registration systems that gives a discount to the pet shops and puppy mills while continuing to charge full price for more reputable breeders.

1 comment:

Viatecio said...

People have been making poor matching choices for their companion animals for many years and even moreso with the internet and transport companies making bank off of impulse decisions because of a sad backstory, krazee fur/eye kolor or alleged breed label.

What this law brings to light is that the whole "Adopt, don't shop" movement is a bald-faced lie.

If you "Adopt," then you SHOP. You CHOOSE a dog based on preconceived notions of what YOU want (or think you want) in a dog. Some people do it right and put in effort pre-acquisition so that they end up with the dog they need and deserve. Others will continue to "swipe left" until they find the dog with the saddest backstory, the biggest medical need (that they ultimately can't afford to upkeep), the fewest number of eyes/ears/legs/teeth/etc, or somesuch nonsense that ensures a continuing life of frustration and stress for both parties.

It has nothing to do with the AKC as a whole, but they are losing major revenue with this as you mention, so of course they are vocal about it.