New California law forces pet stores to only sell rescues

Neal Conway, Staff Writer

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    On January 1st 2018 the Pet Rescue and Adoption Act approved by the former governor of California Jerry Brown, came into effect. This law prohibits pet stores in the golden state from selling dogs, cats or rabbits that haven’t been acquired by a government approved animal control agency.

    This makes California the first state in the United States to ban the sale of any kind of bred animals in pet shops. The act was partly inspired by multiple cities that already had similar breeding restrictions in place. Breaking this new law can result in pet shops having to pay 500$ for each bred animal they have in the store.

    The main reason for the ban has to do with the treatment of bred animals at puppy mills. Many of these mills have been criticized for over-breeding their dogs and keeping them in confined, overpopulated spaces. The ban has also helped to boost up the sale of rescued dogs.

    Supporters of this new act say it ensures that animals are treated fairly. The ban has also inspired several animal rights in the United States as well as in the United Kingdom to crackdown on animal trafficking and put higher restrictions on the sale of bred animals.

    “It will allow rescued animals a chance to live in a better environment,” said Ellia Martinez (21).

    Although the ban has received mostly positive feedback the pet shop industry responded to the ban by saying it removes important customer protections.

    Others are criticizing the ban saying it isn’t doing enough to protect animals. When these concerns were raised to former governor Jerry Brown made no comment.

    “Rescue dogs should have a home even if they aren’t purely bred,” said Lauren Sowers (21).

    So far the battle between the pet shop industry and animal rights groups is still happening and it may take years before any new laws are instituted either imposing more regulations over the sale of pets or taking them away.