Banning Pet Stores

I posted on this over at BlogPaws but thought I'd add some thoughts here, also.

Some cities in America are banning pet stores to save puppys and kittens from the ordeal of being bred just to go to a pet store. The idea is that by banning pet stores outright, the puppy mills and kitten factories will go out of business. They will have no where to market their "wares".

Who believes this? Apparently, lots of people. People in Florida, New Mexico, Missouri and other states, are working to put pet stores out of business, on the theory that no more pet stores, no more puppy mills and no more kitten factories.

Some cities are actually creating boutique shelters - where the atmosphere is friendlier and cleaner, to attract people who might otherwise be foolled into stopping in a pet store. The idea, again, is to shut down puppy mills. To bring healthier pets to a place that more people will be drawn and can adopt knowing the animal is not part of an illegal ring.

I'm all for putting puppy mills and kitten factories out of business. But, is this the way? Do we switch from pet stores to boutique shelters - while perfectly good pets languish in "real" shelters? Why punish shelters and rescues for the bad work of pet stores and backyard breeders?

And, when are we...people everywhere... going to stand up and fight for our pets? Really fight - by supporting spay/neuter programs; supporting shelters and rescues; working to Be the Change...today and every day?

Many, many of us are...but, we need more. More voices, more hands, more $$$. Can YOU stand up for pets? Help Be the Change, today and everyday, for pets?

Comments

[Michele Lazarow]

Hello.
I am the person who is trying to pass the ordinance in Hallandale beach to not only close the two shops we have, but to not allow any others to open.
You make an excellent point about "boutique shelters", but this is a separate issue. When people ask me how I can worry about pet shops when my city officials are incompetent, wasting our budgets, etc.--I say if that is YOUR fight than fight it. One issue is separate from another. While we are fighting to close down shops, someone else can be helping to bring awareness to shelter animals. One cause is not better than another, only different. The only way to get the government to stop issuing 3,000 puppy mill licenses a year is to work from the bottom up. We will bring national awareness that this business of exploiting and mistreating animals is unacceptable. A national movement has begun. We are going to help take the money out of this horrible business without the lobbyist's or Government's help. If they need to create false USDA jobs, they will need to do it somewhere else. Once people win this cause, they will help to win others. You start that movement and we will support it also.
I support any and all causes that help stop the killing and abuse of ALL animals.
Thanks.
Michele

[Doreen]

I will be at Uncle Bill's Pet Centers on July 24 in Indianapolis, Indiana protesting with the PetShopPuppies.Org group. This small chain of stores sells puppies they get from Indiana puppy mills and it's our mission to put them out of business.