New law bans sale of some animals in pet stores 

Requires pet stores to obtain their dogs, cats and rabbits from shelters or rescue organizations

Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill on Oct. 13 outlawing the sale of dogs, cats and rabbits in pet stores that don’t come from animal shelters or rescues.

The law will take effect on Jan. 1, 2019.

AB 485 seeks to cut off one of the ways that commercial breeders, commonly referred to as puppy mills, use to sell their dogs, said Assembly Member Patrick O’Donnell, one of the authors. The two main ways puppy mill-raised puppies are sold is through the internet and pet stores.

Commercial breeders have become a problem

“Puppy mills or kitten factories are common terms for large commercial breeding factories that mass produce animals for sale to the public, often through retail outlets,” O’Donnell said at a California Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee hearing during the last legislative session.

Puppy mills are a serious problem across the U.S., said Olivia Hamilton, an adoptive dog owner. “They just manufacture dogs like candy bars.”

These animals face many struggles, whether it be lack of access to adequate food and water, communicable diseases, behavioral issues or genetic diseases, O’Donnell said. Store owners are not usually aware of where the animals are bred and they don’t know the conditions of their animals.

Some of these animals are inbred and have problems that can cost consumers thousands of dollars in veterinary bills, said Los Angeles City Council Member Paul Koretz at the hearing. “I had the same experience when I bought a great dog from a pet store and had to spend a fair amount on surgeries to correct those kinds of breeding problems.”

This problem affects taxpayers more than pet owners, O’Donnell said. Taxpayers are spending around $250 million per year to house and often euthanize these animals.

According the the Humane Society of the United States, there are about 10,000 unlicensed and licensed commercial breeders across the U.S. Only about 1,902 of them are licensed by the USDA.


Background

The thought behind the bill is both personal and policy driven, O’Donnell said.“I have two rescue dogs in my home that have become part of the family,” he explained.

“Shelter dogs weren’t bred for a certain look. They’re just dogs who need a home and love,” Hamilton said.

This is just good policy, it aims to save animal lives, cut off the puppy mill train and save California taxpayers money, O’Donnell said.“I have spent time recently at Vanderpump Dog Foundation in Los Angeles, a nonprofit that goes to shelters everyday to rescue dogs that are in urgent need of adoption,” Assembly Member Matthew Dababneh, one of the authors of AB 485, said at the hearing. “These animals often come from puppy mills out of state that are adopted by residents but because of exorbitant vet bills and unforeseen medical conditions are abandoned or dropped off at shelters.”

“Even with this progress, 2.5 million healthy animals in California are euthanized every year,” Dababneh said at the hearing. “This is unnecessary and preventable.”

Olivia Hamilton and her adopted dog, Mimzy.

Some areas of California have similar laws

Individual cities across California have adopted ordinances that don’t allow pet shop owners to sell dogs, cats or rabbits that don’t come from shelters and rescues. LA adopted a law like this in 2012.

“Our experience in Los Angeles is that it remains a very positive work in progress,” Kortez said at the hearing. “The business model whereby pet shops obtain animal from animal shelters and rescues is proving successful wherever and whenever it’s been implemented.”

LA has gone from euthanizing 20,000 animals per year in shelters to 10,000, according to Kortez.

Andrew Kim, the CEO of Healthy Spot pet supply store, spoke at the hearing about how his business model of partnering with rescues to help adopt out pets has been successful.

“One of the secrets of success is that Healthy Spot alone has saved thousands of dogs and cats from high-kill shelters through our partnerships with local rescue groups and shelter partners,” Kim said at the hearing. “We were warned by business brokers that we would not be successful without selling puppies and kittens. However, we thought there was a better solution, and now other retailers have adopted this practice.”

Big pet retailers such as Petco and Petsmart haven’t been selling dogs or cats that come from puppy mills and have been partnering with shelters and rescues for years, O’Donnell said. They are proof that this business model works.

Mimzy was adopted in Kentucky and is a Labrador retriever, husky and Saint Bernard mix.

Objections

“This bill will put legitimate businesses out of business,” said Kevin Pedrotti, who spoke on behalf of the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council at the hearing. This bill won’t stop puppy mills. Many of them sell their dogs through Craigslist anyway.

The difference between buying a dog from a pet store and from the internet is that with a pet store, you have consumer warranties, Pedrotti said at the hearing. These are used to protect the consumers when purchasing animals.

“This bill is an anti-choice bill that restricts consumers’ freedom to choose a puppy, kitten or bunny from a pet store that is licensed and regulated,” Adam Tipton, from Animal Kingdom Pet Store, testified at the hearing. “Customers rely on the store to help them pick out the right pet for their family.”

O’Donnell said he addressed these concerns by including language in the bill that responsible breeders who have an affinity for a specific breed of dog will not be affected.

“There is nothing wrong with (asking) a responsible breeder to reserve a particular breed, like a German shepherd or shih tzu,” O’Donnell said at the hearing. Californians will be able to purchase dogs directly from a breeder.

-By Ruby Larson