This has been an exciting year in Los Angeles as the pet store ban that was passed in October of 2012 finally went into effect after a six month waiting period.
The new law makes it illegal for pet shops and other retail businesses to sell dogs, cats and rabbits unless those animals are obtained from an animal shelter, animal-control agency, humane society or a 501(c)(3) rescue organization.
Since an estimated 99% of pet stores obtain their puppies from puppy mills, this law is a big success because it drastically reduces the supply and demand for commercially bred animals. Los Angeles City Councilman Paul Koretz, who championed the ordinance said, “Puppy mill animals that are bred in terrible conditions often have severe health problems and they just add to the number of animals in our shelters and the number of animals euthanized.”
By cutting off the flood of commercially bred animals entering Los Angeles, we can shift animals in our overcrowded shelters into shops and reach a larger group of pet owners that may not have considered adoption before. We are seeing more people choosing adoption and have gotten many inquiries from individuals all over the country wondering how they can enact such a ban and how can they set up an adoption model pet store in their town.
Los Angeles is not the first city to enact a retail pet store ban and happily, it won’t be the last. Today, on Puppy Mill Awareness Day, I want to share two resources that can help you animal protectors out there in your endeavors.
Awareness & Legislation: The Pet Store Ban didn’t happen overnight. Elizabeth Oreck, National Manager of Puppy Mill Initiatives for Best Friends Animal Society, began peacefully demonstrating, with the help of volunteers, outside pet stores across Los Angeles in December of 2007. Many people simply did not know the story behind those cute puppies in the window, once they did know, they did not turn the other way but instead, joined the cause.
Oreck also worked with pet store owners to try and persuade them to switch over to a humane model.
Additionally, she worked with City Council members to draft a motion that would eventually be passed by council members 13-2!
Visit the Puppy Mill section on Best Friends’ website to get all the information you need, including tips on how to write to your local legislators and newspapers.
Opening a Humane Model Pet Store: You don’t need to have a pet store ban in effect to switch over to or open a humane model pet store. We learned a lot when we opened our first Adopt & Shop in Lakewood, California in April 2011. Our Executive Director gave a presentation titled “How Much is That Doggie in the Window” at the 2012 HSUS Animal Care Conference and it takes you step by step through the process. You can download her presentation by clicking the link above or visiting the resources section on our website.
Since then we have opened another location in Mission Viejo, CA. Adopt & Shop Mission Viejo was a bit different because it replaced an existing pet store called Barkworks, which had come under fire for selling unhealthy animals. We are currently working on opening our flagship Adopt & Shop in Culver City, CA, coming in 2014. This location will be the largest of the three and we will be working directly with shelters to fill it with adoptable cats and dogs that may have otherwise been euthanized for lack of space.
We have celebrated other exciting milestones this year in our city:
- The success of Downtown Dog Rescue’s Pilot Shelter Intervention Program, which has prevented more than 1000 animals from entering the shelter since it began in April of 2013. This program could definitely be replicated in other cities.
- A decrease of about 4,000 fewer animals euthanized in our city shelters since the previous year.
- The opening of the first NKLA pet adoption center together with their coalition of over 60 local nonprofits.
… and the list goes on and on.
Now more than ever it feels like our hard work is starting to pay off and we are making progress towards reaching our no kill goal. The support and collaboration of animal lovers all over the world has been so inspiring. We realize that not every town has the same resources, but we are hopeful that the information here will help other rescuers get out there and enact change in their community.
What do you think about cities banning retail pet shops? Share your opinions below.
