Author: puppymillfree_ws7hqt

Landslide of Statewide Bans if OR, CO, WI, MA, PA, ME, & NY Pass Pending Bills

This is an ongoing post to be updated through the months…

7 States with statewide bans on the table.

Update: 1/2020

1 down! 6 States with statewide bans on the table.

Maine’s Convoluted Path to Statewide Ban
Maine Governor Janet T. Mills moved the 6/2019 legislation to law on 1/12/2020. Details under the Maine section below.

Massachusetts

House bill 800: An Act banning the retail sale of cats and dogs in pet shops

Senate bill 175: An Act banning the retail sale of cats and dogs in pet shops

New York

At a time where there are healthy and loving pets waiting to be adopted from animal shelters statewide, there is simply no reason to allow the sale of puppy mill animals. Puppy mill animals are mistreated from birth, and often develop behavioral or physical health problems later in life despite their high price tags. This bill would encourage the adoption of dogs, cats and rabbits and ensure that animals no longer have to face the cruelty, physical and psychological abuse to which the puppy mill supply chain subjects animals.

Assembly bill status New York

Oregon

Prohibits retail pet store from selling or offering to sell dog other than dog acquired from animal shelter, humane society, dog control district or nonprofit corporation that provides rescue services.

House bill 4045.

Wisconsin

This bill prohibits a pet store from selling dogs and cats beginning on January 1, 2020. A person who violates this prohibition is subject to a civil forfeiture of up to $10,000 for the first offense and up to $25,000 for the second or any subsequent
offense.

Assembly Bill 298

Pennsylvania

An Act amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, providing for transfer and sale of animals.

Senate Bill 44

Maine

Maine was the first state to pass a ban on sale of dogs and cats through their legislature, but controversial governor LePage refused to sign the bill. It’s now in the hands of new governor Mills, but it’s not clear if she will sign.

Gov. Janet Mills should sign L.D. 1311. It will effectively impact puppy mills by shrinking the marketplace and drive Maine’s pet market towards more humane sources.

Pet store law would protect animals

A person may not advertise for sale, sell or exchange for value more than one cat or dog under the age of 6 months in a 12-month period unless that person has a valid animal shelter, kennel, or breeding kennel  or pet shop license or a valid vendor’s license issued under this section.

Sec. 11.  7 MRSA § 4153.  Sale prohibited

Colorado

Legislators and the Gubernatorial mansion ally against puppy mills.

“I’m honored to be partnering with First Gentleman Reis to shed light on the abhorrent conditions at puppy mills,” said Rep. Duran, D-Wheat Ridge.“Every dog deserves to live in happiness and safety. Our furry friends demand very little in exchange for unconditional love and attention, and I look forward to taking action to address the inhumane treatment of animals in our state.”

First Gentleman Reis and Representative Duran are exploring legislative proposals to ensure the health and safety of dogs and cats.

On Puppy Mill Awareness Day, Rep. Duran & First Gentleman Reis Draw Attention to the Need to Protect Our Canine Friends. Article.

But after a recent exposé of sick and dying puppies at a store that has had puppy deaths not long after sales dating back to 2002, legislation ending puppy and kitten sales in Colorado now seems to be on a fast track.

Pet Store Ban? Talks Underway After More Than A Decade Of Complaints About Sick Puppies

Others

NEVADA

Other states bringing up the issue so far include Nevada. State Legislature there meets only every two years. Next legislative session, February 2021.

A Bill Draft will be submitted to end the sales of dogs, cats, rabbits in retail stores in the state of Nevada by Senator Julia Ratti.

ARIZONA

Arizona doesn’t have a state ban in the pipe, but there is a provision to end the statewide prohibition of local bans, which would allow the two bands in Phoenix and Tempe, which are still written into their municipal code, to become immediately enforceable. Tucson, Arizona, was on the eve of passing a local ban when the state law took effect. Ending the state prohibition of local bans would see passage of the Tucson ban occur soon thereafter.

…Includes a repeal of the prohibition of local retail store bans. Phoenix and Tempe city ordinances are still on the books, made unenforceable by state law. If 2329 passes with repeal intact, Phoenix and Tempe will not only enforce, but Tucson has been holding a city ordinance in the ready for when they will be able to enforce it.

House Bill 2329

Breckenridge, CO, declares stores a “public nuisance”

Breckenridge, Colorado, just passed their ban. Interesting take we haven’t seen before

6-3H-10 SALE OF ANIMALS FROM INHUMANE COMMERCIAL BREEDING FACILITIES:


F. The operation of a pet shop in violation of this Section is declared to be a public nuisance, and is subject to abatement as provided by law. In any case in which the Town prevails in a nuisance abatement action initiated pursuant to this Section, the Town may recover its reasonable attorney fees plus costs of the proceeding.

(Italics ours.)

Ordinance

Scotland Announces Plans for 3rd Countrywide Ban

Animal Activists had a bit of a surprise when Scotland announced last week it, too, was joining England and Wales in ending the sale of dogs and cats in retail stores.

Scotland has had a reputation for puppy farming as does Ireland. During an inquiry about a year ago, some of the big nonprofits in Scotland surprised animal activists when they pushed back on a countrywide ban.

Many felt Scotland would join Northern Ireland in sitting out the UK admonition to ban.

It was a bit shocking, pleasantly so, when Scotland announced it is moving forward with a ban.

A new law aimed at cracking down on so-called puppy farms will be passed through Scottish Government, the Edinburgh Evening News can reveal. 
Known as Lucy’s Law, it will ban the sale of kittens and puppies from third parties, making buyers deal with breeders directly.

New law to BAN puppy farming in Scotland confirmed at ‘historic’ meeting

England PM’s dog is a puppy mill rescue

From Wales online:

The ‘wonky’ Welsh puppy who is Boris Johnson’s new Downing Street dog

The little Jack Russell cross puppy with a misaligned jaw was abandoned by a puppy farmer

Who on earth would kill adorable Dilyn?

The new dog set to reside at Downing Street has been rescued from the South Wales Valleys.

At just 15-weeks-old, the little Jack Russell cross puppy named Dilyn nearly found himself being shot or drowned after being abandoned by a Welsh puppy farmer.

2019 reaches average bans per year

We’ve tracked animals sales bans all the way back to 1952. But the movement to end the sale of dogs and cats and sometimes rabbits, ferrets, pot-bellied pigs, long-lived birds and large reptiles didn’t pick up steam until Albuquerque in 2006 and then South Lake Tahoe in 2009.

Pet Sale Bans by Year

We take our average bans per year starting in 2006 where we had 1. It also includes 2009 where we had 1. As you can see in the graph, it also includes banner year 2016 with 103 bans.

We’re a bit late in the year to only reach average. Some years, however, like 2016, saw a majority of their bans enacted in the Autumn including in and around the Thanksgiving holiday and some in December.

The latest ban as of today is in Oveido, Florida, where super hero activist Michelle Lazarow convinced yet another Florida city to pass a ban. She states in an Orlando Sentinel article from July 22, 2019

[Lazarow] doubts the Legislature will pass statewide regulations strong enough to completely ban stores from selling dogs and cats from large commercial breeding operations.

“I would love it, but I don’t see it happening,” she said. “And if they’re not going to do it, then let the cities and counties pass regulations on their own, and on what happens in their backyards.”

Lazarow added that it’s important Oviedo enact the ban before a store that sells dogs and cats from large breeding facilities decides to open in the city.

Orlando Sentinel, 7/22/19

The average bans per year count is found in the bottom row of our graph, “Avg/yr since ’06: 29.”

We’re looking forward to seeing the average bans rise to 30 this year. To do that, bans passed in 2019 need to reach a total of 36. 7 more to go!

Salinas simply won’t go away

The Deep South of the state of California has been trying to rid itself of multiple store owner David Salinas for six years.

San Diego was the first to throw one of his stores out in 2013.

Then Encinitas and San Marcos in 2015.

Then Oceanside and Carlsbad in 2016.

Solana Beach, Vista and Del Mar passed preventive ordinances to make sure he didn’t come there.

Then the great state of California passed a comprehensive ban of retail sales of dogs, cats and rabbits in October 2017, effective 1/1/19.

But he’s still at it.

Activists have had enough.

National City still has 2 puppy stores open and doing the business of passing on the progeny of tortured, malnourished, sickly, spirit-broken dogs onto unknowing customers for a substantial premium.

Salinas is not going easily into that good night. He surely doesn’t want to let go of his easy money stream so he is hanging on with all his might to the last torn threads surrounding the state’s language loopholes.

But activists are there to virtually tar and feather him every step of the way.

Thank you southern California activists, for leading the way on fighting these stores to the bitter end and showing the rest of the country the steps they might have to take when their states pass a comprehensive retail animal sales ban.

1st of 5 Washington Bans to have a Store

Kitsap County is the first of 5 total bans that includes a retail store. The County’s proximity to Seattle could prod the slow poke into action.

On 7/22/2020, the first ban in Washington that had a store in its jurisdiction will be in effect in Kitsap County. The store owners of 43 years are upset and cite that their puppies sell for $1200. So they must be good? To those that buy a pup for that price when you can get an awesome dog at a shelter for from $25-100, we say:

There’s a Sucker Born Every Minute.

Unknown [wasn’t P.T. Barnum]

This is Washington’s 5th ban including a rabbit sales ban in Gig Harbor. But the significance of a ban with a store, and a very long time one at that, could someday influence slow poke Seattle just across Puget Sound from all 5 current ban jurisdictions.

Kitsap County not far from Seattle in King County Washington.

One has to wonder why the store owners are crying foul. How many dogs do you think they might sell on average per week? Think 5 is reasonable? With as many as 25 per week at Christmas, we’ll call 5 a lowball.

5 x 1200 x 52 x 43 = $13,416,000. Let’s call the lowball estimate vs. the expenses a wash, making this figure pure profit.

Isn’t $13 million enough for a lifetime? Or is this proof positive yet again that store owners and the puppy dealers that transport the dogs from the mills to the stores are drowning in their own filthy greed?

Wales Publishes Responses to Proposed Dog & Cat 3rd Party Sales Ban

Welsh GovernmentYesterday the government of Wales published the long-awaited document reviewing submissions of comments (“consultations”) by the public. Remarks were submitted by 458 agencies, organizations and individuals in the open period from 19 February – 17 May 2019.

The results are quite as expected. Near unanimous support with a few eye-rollers: the typical fatuous argument that a ban won’t completely end the industry so why bother to do anything at all.

Blue Cross, an animal rescue and rehoming agency active in Wales, Scotland and England since 1897, had this to say:

We don’t agree that just introducing a ban on thirdparty sellers will have any impact on those sellers that make large profits and choose to operate outside the licensing regime. We believe that before introducing a potentially knee jerk piece of legislation, the government must assess the scale of the third party trade in puppies and the impact any such ban would have on licensed large scale breeders.

Blue Cross submission to the Gov’t of Wales Call for Consultation on ending third party sales of dogs and cats.
Emphasis ours.

They go on about stricter regulations being the best course. We in the ‘States know this strategy simply does not work as most governments are unwilling to put additional staffing and revenue/expense burdens on those budgets already stretched, which the route of strong restrictions causes en masse.

Flag of Wales

New York City is a showcase for this. NYC’s strong restrictions of dog and cat retail sales have proven near-completely unenforceable and sales go on largely unchecked, while their outright ban of rabbit sales has put a stopper on the rabbit overpopulation problem by directly ending impulse purchases in pet stores.

The English ban is set for enforcement on 1 April 2020. The law was deemed Lucy’s Law after news about a spaniel in a typical puppy mill horror situation achieved viral status in the UK. Lucy was imprisoned in a puppy mill in Wales.

Lucy tugged at the Brit’s heartstrings when photos of her fused hips and curved spine from years of living an empty life of nothing but breeding went viral on social and news media. This image is from a Sky News May 19, 2019, article: ‘Lucy’s Law’ puppy farm ban set to be confirmed.

Welsh activists have called on their government to “beat the English to it.” With Lucy’s Law laid in the spring of this year the Welsh government would have to move swiftly, mandating enforcement in less than 8 months, to win the race of taking this critical step in ending animal cruelty in the British Isles.

Either way, England and Wales are now the de facto model to the world of how a countrywide ban can be enacted through the determination of activists to bring about change.

End the suffering.