As I have written before, it gets depressing trying to make people see the light about animals. I realize that cats, dogs, birds and other animals are sentient beings, so it gets frustrating when it seems so many others don’t see this. The cruelty of the puppy mills seems to go on and on, no matter how many we rescue. Then something really, really good happens and that puts the wind back in my sails, so myself and others keep pushing to save every animal possible.
This time the good thing comes from West Hollywood, California. On February 1,2010 the West Hollywood City Council voted unanimously to ban the sale of cats and dogs at pet stores. Only those that re-home pets and animals will still be allowed to do business. This comes after banning the cruelty of declawing cats earlier this year.
Without commercial pet stores selling their product, puppy mills and commercial cat breeding facilities will have no reason to stay in business in West Hollywood. People who raise animals in these types of places will not have a commercial outlet for their puppies and kittens. They will have to clean up their businesses and become legitimate breeders or go out of business altogether.
Of course, this also means that many more rescue and shelter animals will find homes. In my view, its a win- win situation and the perfect way to put these high volume, cruel animal traffickers out of business.
Other cities have done what West Hollywood is now doing. But we need to make sure that the numbers of areas that ban this type of sale keeps growing. I find myself inspired to continue making calls and writing letters to municipalities that do not yet ban pet shop animal sales. I’m sure many others do, too.
It is nice to get good news and I look forward to getting more of it on this front. Until then, please call your city and state offices to tell them they should ban the commercial pet shop sale of animals. Someday, we will have put all the puppy mills and commercial catteries out of business for good.
From the article at Care 2:
“West Hollywood’s City Council has shown great leadership, wise judgment and compassion,” in taking that action and, “by considering an ordinance banning the sale of cats and dogs in our city’s pet stores. It will save countless shelter animals’ lives locally and will send a strong message to abusive commercial breeders all over the nation.”
Read the rest about this subject here.
