Possible Pet Store Sale of Animals Ban - Page 2

Yes, legislate CRIMINAL behavior.  That's what our laws are supposed to do, punish criminal, not save us from ourselves.  If the criminal laws were upheld and the punishment swift and just, we wouldn't need all of the BS banning legislations.  Ban this, ban that, ban, ban, ban...  taking rights away from law abiding citizens and not addressing the real issues.  Pet stores found to be in violation of CRIMINAL laws would be closed, those responsible party(ies) punished, if the laws were enforced.

If pet stores are not permitted to sell animals by law, it makes doing so criminal behavior.  This really isn't that hard to understand. 

I hope someone is left to stand up when they come after all breeders, because if you don't wake up, that's where it's headed.  Once a ban gets in the door, as so many have, they don't stop there.  Evidenced by BSL, spay/neuter, etc., etc.  It will be like everything else they ban, pretty soon, you'll only be allowed to breed after jumping through hoops and paying exorbitant licensing fees.  It will be considered a privilege and no longer a right, like so many other things.  When you have to be rich in order to breed dogs, only the rich will breed dogs.  Keep it in mind.  People have gone so far beyond reason, it amazes me.

I agree with GSDtravels.  I don't agree with these types bans.  That doesn't mean I support puppy mills.  I've never bred an animal, never purchased a dog from a mill, BYB, or pet store, and I don't shop at pet stores that sell these animals (only ones that have no animals, or animals from a shelter that they are hosting).  This is one of those "slippery slope" issues to me.  We already have cruelty laws, kennel inspections, zoning limits....but these go ignored and unenforced.  Why not just enforce the laws we already have?  New laws just punish people who have always been doing things right, because it will end up costing them more to get all the proper "licenses" and whatever, while the people who trample animal rights never bother to follow any of the laws in the first place.  We need to be serious about the laws we already have, and educate people to better buyers and dog owners.  Mills are only in business because people are buying from them.  Cut off the demand and the supply will disappear.  People still put less thought into buying their dogs as they do into picking up milk from the grocery store.  Until that changes, no amount of laws or bans or threats will really help.

When pet stores are no longer allow to sell pets, they are no longer  pet stores.  Since when should the government manadate which products you can sell and which you can't, as long as that product is legal to possess.  And here lies the key!  If PETA has their way, along with HSUS, that is EXACTLY where it's headed.  Smokers said the same thing about bans when they first started.  Oh, well people don't like it so maybe we shouldn't smoke in restaurants.  Then it went to bars, then to private propery, then to public property.  And everybody thought it was such a good thing.  Now they're on the brink of removing children for smoking households because it will be considered abuse, when the "studies" on the dangers of second-hand smoke have now been seen for what they are, BS.  And when that started, food was next on the list because, after all, too much causes obesity.  They're mandating what you're children eat at school and what they're not allowed to eat.  Now they're removing children (I've only so far heard of one case so it's no epidemic but eventually will be) because they're fat and the parent/parents allowed it or contributed to it.  So now you can't smoke and you can't be fat.  These are personal choices regarding one's own body, and we're allowing to happen.  Do you think they'll really care when it comes to a possession?  And when that possession is a living animal, PETA will get enough on board to believe that the animals should have more rights than the people that own them.  Don't think it can or will happen?  Think again.  Like I said, I abhor cruelty in an case, don't agree with puppy mills but these acts of abuse and negligence need to be CRIMINALIZED and PUNISHED AS SUCH.  We don't need the government to step in and make it financially impossible to own a pet.

The problem is that every time someone buys from the pet store (some justify it by calling it a rescue-I admittedly did when I worked there)  another one is quickly sent to take it's place. In order to keep up with supply and demand, these bitches are bred relentlessly. You all already know this... with that being said, please forgive me for preaching to the choir!

But this battle has been going on for years and nothing has gotten any better.  Laws are NOT being reinforced.
It does sound like a simple solution to crack down on the inspections, but the USDA  has not done anything in the last 20 years to STOP this...So they need to try something else.
Even when I worked for Hunt, there were protestors. I just chose to ignore it, until I got the internet and started seeing where most of these puppies came from. (The reason I quit my job there) It's apalling, and most, if not all of these commercial breeders have no better set-ups than the one on the Amish mill video.
I honestly cannot count how many videos I have seen like that. I highly doubt this video was the exception, and commercial breeders are breeding strictly for profit. With regular vet care and quality feed, there is not much profit to be had, if any... Especially if the millers were to hire people to not only clean those disgusting stys, but to actually groom, medicate and spend time with these dogs and puppies. It would end up costing them.
Many of the ethical breeders on here will tell you that they do not make a lot of money breeding. The truly want to better the breed and provide quality dogs to people. You won't catch them letting their puppies go to a broker or pet shop. Many have this in their contracts.
The commercial breeders do not care where their puppies end up, as long as they get their $200.

I understand BAN is a scary word for most of us who have goals of someday breeding or keeping our dogs intact for other reasons, however, I think the line can be pretty visible between ending milling and allowing breeders who have one or two breeds and care for their animals.
I was upset when my city passed the mandatory spay/neuter, but once I realized I could be exempt, I felt a bit relieved. Mainly because there are so many people who come into my grooming salon who have plans of breeding their poor representatives of their breed (including mixes!) with horrid temperaments and no health screening, training or notable mention of anything their dog has accomplished to make it worthy of breeding...

I think it would be great if we had laws like in other countries, where their are standards and guideines for all breeders. Including how often you can breed and that it must be a suitable animal for breeding.

I do agree that these millers should be punished for their inhumane treatment of these animals, but most just pay their fines, some do jail time, and some actually are told they can never own animals again. SOme have just changed their names and moved on and started milling elsewhere. 

The store I now work for is a pet store. We have adoptions every weekend.

I don't like this because once we start legislating what retail stores can sell, outside of items that are illegal to own, it quickly leads to a slippery slope.

The problem with puppy mills is the lack of health care and deplorable conditions.  If the current animal abuse and neglect laws were ENFORCED and the animal control agencies were properly funded, this would greatly reduce the puppy mill problem.  If there are only 2 or 3 officers for an entire county, how can they respond to all the dog bites, loose animal reports and abuse/neglect reports?  They end up prioritizing which things pose the greatest risk to safety at that moment. 

Most states/counties have kennel licenses that are required if you own more than a set number of animals, usually around 5, or produce more than 1 litter per year.  Most of the horrifying reports are from facilities that have dozens of dogs cranking out litter after litter.  Are those licensed facilities really being inspected?  Are they being shut down if they're not in compliance?

The problem really isn't the retail stores - that's just the end of the journey for most of the animals.  Most of the pet stores around here only sell fish, small mammals and birds, but work with area rescues to have adoption days or house adoptable pets.  Perhaps requiring stores to maintain documentation that the animals were obtained from licensed kennels, in compliance with current guidelines, would shift some of the responsibility.

We really can't legislate away the stupid people who do stupid things.  If it were possible, it would have already been done.


Opal