HOW THE WAR ON PET SHOPS AFFECTS YOU!

The pet shop bill, ii CA AB 485, was signed into law by CA Gov. Jerry (Moonbeam) Brown on Friday the 13th; an appropriately ominous date.

Governor Jerry Brown (pictured left), animal welfare and animal rights advocates pushed vociferously for its passage. California is the first state to pass legislation requiring pet stores to sell animals from shelters and rescue organizations only. No dog breeder can sell through pet shops in California. See link to the Pet Shop Bill below.

The legislative model used by the animal rights whackos is one that claims the overpopulation of animals will be fixed with this bill. Pet overpopulation was debunked over 17 years ago but it is still used as an excuse for new legislation. The unnecessary cure for this fake surplus is to ban pet sales from breeders and force pet shops to offer ONLY rescue dogs or shelter dogs and included in this bill are cats and rabbits.

AB 485 bans the sale of pets from known, regulated and inspected sources (including breeders and handlers subject to federal licensing), and compels pet shops to ONLY sell pets from unregulated and uninspected sources (i.e., shelters, rescues, and other similar organizations) that are NOT subject to state consumer protection laws or other guarantees.

IN ESSENCE, AB 485, REMOVES CURRENT CONSUMER PROTECTIONS FOR NEW PET OWNERS, LIMITS THE ABILITY OF PET OWNERS TO OBTAIN THE APPROPRIATE PET FOR THEIR LIFESTYLE, AND POTENTIALLY INCREASES PUBLIC HEALTH RISKS.

The result is that California is expanding the market for rescue/shelter dog organizations that are nearly all 501c3 non-profit organizations. At a time when these non-profits are importing dogs bred to be eaten (from Asia, Afghanistan, Iran and Syria), California is trying to boost their sales.

Further, these strays from around the world are bringing in canine influenza and rabies, (as recent as this past summer) just to mention a few serious contagious dog diseases.

Here are some unanswered questions that should have been resolved before signing:

What happens to a dog that doesn’t sell for weeks or months? Will insurance cover dogs suffering from stress? Or adult dogs with behavioral or health issues?

Won’t the pet shops need extra employees to manage the necessary training and exercise needed to make the adult dogs "saleable"?

Do the pet shops "buy" from the shelter or rescue because a dog from a rescue is “adopted” and the money paid to them is a contribution to their 501c3 organization?

What is the acceptable return policy on pets?

Let the unintended consequences fall where they may but California has set in motion the “journey to hell in a hand basket” syndrome which has laid waste to good legislation everywhere.

Related Articles and Information: A.B. 485, the CA Pet Shop Bill and Instant Contact Information for ii YOUR Governor, Senators, and Congressional Representatives

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