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California Pet Shops May Soon Be Banned From Selling Non-Rescue Animals, Pending Gov. Jerry Brown’s Signature

By Erika Miranda
Published on: 17:44 PST, Sep 17, 2017

California pet shops may soon be banned from selling animals from breeding facilities like “puppy mills” as a new bill passed mandates the shops to sell rescued animals exclusively if Governor Jerry Brown approves.

According to the Associated Press as posted in US News, California legislators have passed Assembly Bill No. 485 that mandates pet stores in the state to sell dogs, cats, and rabbits from animal shelters and rescue organizations exclusively.

Should the bill be signed into law, businesses that take profit from selling pets to animal lovers will also be prohibited from mass breeding from the so-called “puppy mills.”

“We’ve actually seen a thriving pet industry based on the model of getting these from shelters,” Encino Democratic Assemblyman Matt Dababneh explained to AP.

According to the bill’s author Democratic Assemblyman Patrick O’Donnell, a total of 36 cities already have similar laws requiring California pet shops to sell animals from animal shelters and rescue operations.

Aside from promoting adoption of homeless animals, O’Donnell also revealed the financial implications should the bill be passed into law.

“Californians spend more than $250 million a year to house and euthanize animals in our shelters. Protecting the pets that make our house a home is an effort that makes us all proud.”

While the bill still allows private breeders to sell directly to individual buyers, it states that pet stores that violate the ban of sale from puppy mills and mass breeding houses will have to pay a civil fine of $500.

Currently, the bill is waiting for Gov. Jerry Brown to either sign or veto the legislation that will significantly change business for California pet shops as well as the atmosphere in pet adoption for the state.

Brown has yet to decide what to do about the matter as Brian Ferguson, a spokesperson for the governor declined to comment on it, per AP.

Though there is still a chance that the bill won’t be passed into law, animal rights advocates and pet lovers are already celebrating the development as Twitter posts about the issue start to pile up.

The Companion Animal Protection Society (CAPS) even urged Californians to express their support for the bill to persuade their governor to sign it into a law.

Do you agree that California pet shops be banned from selling animals from puppy mills and mass breeders? Sound off in the comments below.

[Featured Image by Voren1/iStock]

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