West Hollywood eyes sales ban on cats, dogs

http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-408029
WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. -- People shopping for pets in West Hollywood might soon wonder why there aren't any doggies in the windows anymore.

The city is poised to give final approval to an ordinance that would end sales of dogs and cats as a way to reduce the demand that can lead to inhumane conditions in the breeding industry.

The ordinance was approved on a first reading earlier in the month. If it passes a second reading Tuesday, the law would take effect March 19.

Councilman Jeffrey Prang said the move would strike a blow to puppy mills and other cruel, assembly-line breeding.

"There's so many abandoned animals," said Ivan Merino, a manager at Collar & Leash in West Hollywood. "People keep buying dogs and cats and then after a few months they just dump them."

The Humane Society of the United States said the ordinance was modeled after a similar law adopted last year in South Lake Tahoe, Calif.

More than 500 independent pet shops nationwide, including 38 in California, also refuse to sell puppies in their stores.

Under the West Hollywood proposal, all pet stores would have to stop selling cats and dogs by September 2011.

People who want "companion animals" should consider adopting from municipal shelters or nonprofit rescue agencies, Prang said.

Documents filed with the ordinance said 35,000 dogs and 67,000 cats were euthanized in city and county shelters in Los Angeles in the past year, even as customers kept buying puppies and kittens at pet stores.

West Hollywood was the first city in the country to outlaw cat declawing. San Francisco, Santa Monica, Los Angeles and Beverly Hills followed with their own bans.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• puppy
• mill
• dog
• abuse

[animalliberation0961]

Woohoo! Good riddance millers!

[themelissabacelar]

YES!!! Our Companion Animals do have a voice!! Stop Puppy Mills and Kitten Mills!!!!

[Smithpolly]

@9mm1970 I totally agree. If I want to give my kids liquor or cigarettes, it's my democratic right to do . And if little Jimmy wants a puppy from a mill he'll damn well get one.

[kayring13]

Good thing they are stopped, but sadly people want cute teacup

yorkies and maltese thats why they are there to buy one,

but people should really ADOPT dogs instead.

[jillythe1st]

Congrats and well done to everyone involved in getting this law passed!

What a pity it's still year before pet stores cease sales... "Under the West Hollywood proposal, all pet stores would have to stop selling cats and dogs by September 2011..." or have I misunderstood something?

Either way, I too hope that the ripple effect will be felt much further than West Hollywood and will, eventually, be extended to include SO-CALLED legitimate breeders, who, in my view are the scum of the earth.

[DogActivivist]

Thanks all. Eventually we will prevail in our fight one legislation at a time, first the torture mills, then all large scale puppy mills, eventually all pet stores. We have already infiltrated the AKC database & many other databases like BernerGarde to access all personal information on all purebred breeders then we harass them out of breeding. with continued legislation we can eventually ban all pet breeding & Ban All Pet Ownership then the shelters will be empty.

-Sherri Vendetti-

[PuppyLawsuit]

Great job everyone! ... fingers crossed that this passes.

It HAS to pass.

[hollywoodjinky]

Thank you Jovana, for doing such a great job! We've been contacted by many other cities who want assistance in passing similar legislation. It's about time people connected the dots, like shoes in the shoe store are from shoe factories, pets in the pet store are from pet factories. Adopt, rescue, save a life instead. Plenty of purebred dogs in the shelters! 25%, in fact! Go get some love at your local shelter, it's the ethical way to bring a companion animal into your family.

[nadiaNYC]

Happy dance!! :)))

[binkelsteinlouie]

Thank you West Hollywood, I hope other cities will follow your lead and support the humane treatment of our companion animals. STOP PUPPY MILLS NOW!