Cambridge MA. Commercial breeder ban to become law - Page 1

https://www.boston.com/news/business/2017/08/08/cambridge-bans-retail-sales-of-commercially-bred-pets

 

Only animals sourced through rescues will be allowed for sale in pet shops. This should make the pedigree hobby breeders happy. And what about the rescues becoming the allowed supply chain. For better or worse?

I have mixed feelings about this. Most pet shop pets come from "mills" so in this perspective I don't have a problem with the law. On the other hand, this law could cause a city wide shortage of "other pets", and may hurt pet shops bottom line. Hobby breeders may have a larger clientele base, but more hobby breeder may have their animals confiscated for minimal infractions, just to supply rescues with animals to fill pet shops with quality animals.

Depending on where one is, the vast majority of dogs in rescues/shelters are pit bulls and pit bull mixes. Many are very aggressive due to past treatment and environments. Very unsuitable for many, many would-be adopters. At the same time, there are few (aka a shortage of) small breeds and less aggressive dogs. This causes people to patronize pet shops (and puppy mills indirectly). Many of these people have no clue about where the pet shop puppies come from. These same people have no idea how to find a responsible breeder (hobby or otherwise), and may not even realize an alternative exists.

If shelters and rescues become the only allowed sources for pet stores, the same thing will happen at the pet stores--lots of big aggressive dogs. A lot of the pet stores will close because this is not what most people are looking for or are allowed to have (local breed bans, rental restrictions, HOA, insurance, children in the home, elderly person wanting a small companion, etc.). It will be harder to find a variety of breeds/temperaments to compare and pick from, and people will either end up with a dog totally unsuited to their needs/wants, or simply forego the dog altogether. Most people are not willing to drive very long distances to find a breeder of a specific type/breed dog, and if the breeder only has one or two breeds, comparison of a wider range is very difficult.

Theft, especially of small breeds and "family friendly" breeds will increase (it's already rampant in some areas). Puppy mills and responsible breeders will have to advertise more aggressively. Prices will rise. Dog ownership will decline. Tragic accidents (falls and bites) involving large, aggressive dogs will increase because grandma can't control her new big-dog-because-no-small-dog-was-available-and-the-pet-shop-sold-her-an-unsuitable-dog-because-they-were-desperate-to-get-rid-of-it. Carried to its logical extreme, dog ownership could be banned, except for emotional support, therapy, service, or working dogs.

Even now, it is hard to find some small and medium breed dogs in some areas, regardless of where one looks (pet store, puppy mill, responsible breeder, or shelter). I found this out first-hand looking for a young (preferably not puppy) Boston Terrier, Pug, or French Bulldog for my very elderly parents.

I could see more breed-specific "rescues" that were actually fronts for puppy mills and maybe some breeders, starting up. If the only requirement for a dog to be construed as a rescue is that it has no home, then I suppose puppy mills could be paid to release puppies in a designated area for someone to "find" and turn in to the "rescue." Or "rescues" could pay "finders fees." Of course, these "finders" would be the puppy mills and breeders.

How sad for both people and dogs ;-(

 

Not sure how true some of your thinking is, GSCat. For starters, I find it probable that most pet shops and their staff would find selling bigger, and certainly if they are more aggressive, dogs (rescued or not) much more taxing than dealing with little puppies - which is why most don't deal with adult dogs now.
If they don't make room for them in-store, there is the question of organising additional space to keep them somewhere off-site. Unless they develop some voucher system where the customer actually gets sent to the Shelter to collect, or organise door-to-door deliveries with unseen animals (and the former presupposes customers who accept not getting an instant service, a bit like travelling to a breeder and buying a dog 'normally', so many presumably won't be willing to do that; and Shelters willing to play ball, or, with the latter, van drivers willing to take that on), I can't see this working for anything that isn't a puppy. And the percentage of dogs in Shelters which are young puppies is finite.

I think we are back in the realms of 'educating the public', and how best to get the message across. You say "Dog ownership will decline". Ask yourself if that is really such a bad thing, if a lot of the 'decline' is going to be those people who don't give enough thought to aquiring & owning dogs in the first place ?

I am wondering about the unexpected consequences, the unforeseen loopholes that could now be sought out.

How does spay and neuter, the hallmark of a non-profit rescue fit into the business plan? Will there be exceptions for rescued, pedigreed dogs? Or, just more whoops! disappearances?

That could also mean the gates of DNA would become scarcer and more valuable. Squeezing for more cash is likely, to lift limited registrations which will increase in the contract language, especially if the traditional titles are as this board likes to reminds us, only for those people who aren't as savvy as some other established breeders. (Who don't need them to provide value when making a breeding decision).

In my country "pet stores" are not allowed to sell any cats and dogs for a lot of years now, only mice, rats, guinea-pigs...
I think that's very good, because stupid people don't get the chance to buy the "cute puppy" out of the store next door...
And anybody who REALLY wants to rescue a cat or a dog knows where to go-to the shelter...
Some people will always be able to find the "cheap, quick deal" - but it's not that easy any more...