West Hollywood Bans All Pet Sales!

by Dr. Chris

March 22, 2010 In West Hollywood, CA there is a new law that officially bans all retail sales of cats and dogs. On February 16th, The West Hollywood City Council unanimously approved an ordinance on the second reading, that prohibits all sales of cats and dogs in retail pet stores.

The vote was unanimous and it was back by the Companion Animal Protection Society, the Animal Defense League Fund and the Humane Society of the United States.

This new law went into effect March 18th, and there will be exceptions for pets that are humanely bred, reared, and sheltered animals. The existing pet stores in West Hollywood would be given time to adjust to the new law.

The aim of this law is to shut down puppy mills, but does it really?

The city of West Hollywood is very small, and is surrounded by the huge metropolis Los Angeles, so if people want pets, they can easily get them by just driving a few minutes away.

As I stated last week, the bans on puppy mills has lead to a huge increase illegal imports from dogs from foreign countries where dog breeding is not as well regulated as it is in here.

Dog Wars: Bans on Dog Breeding Lead to Spike in Illegal Imports

I think dog sales should be allowed here because:

1. We can better regulate the industry

2. People who want pets will get them from someone and somewhere. Why not make it all legal and safe instead of making these people feel like criminals for wanting to own a pet?

What Do You Think?

To read more blog posts go here: Veterinary Blog

To sign up for my newsletter go here: Veterinary Newsletter