California becomes the first state to require pet stores to sell rescue animals
 

I don't agree with this at all. Granted puppy mills are abhorrent but if a product is otherwise legal then stores should be free to make their own decisions on whether to sell them or not based on customer demand.

http://www.latimes.com/politics/esse...htmlstory.html

California will be the first state to require pet stores to sell rescue animals under legislation signed by Gov. Jerry Brown on Friday.

Starting in 2019, pet stores will transition to selling dogs, cats and rabbits from shelters or adoption centers. Stores can be fined $500 for each animal for sale that is not a rescue.

“This is a big win for our four-legged friends, of course," said bill author Assemblyman Patrick O’Donnell (D-Long Beach) in a statement.




The bill, AB 485, is aimed at reducing the number of animals in shelters and businesses with mass breeding operations, known as "puppy mills" or "kitten factories."

The advocacy group Social Compassion in Legislation and multiple animal rescue, welfare and shelter groups supported the measure.

The American Kennel Club and California Retailers Assn. were among the groups that opposed it.

“AB 485 blocks all of California’s pet lovers from having access to professional, licensed, and ethical commercial breeders,” said Sheila Goffe, vice president of government relations for the kennel club, in a statement. “This is not good for Californians or their companion animals.”

Would this stop breeders selling directly to the public? It seems this is aimed at high-street style brick and mortar shops.

That’s what I was wondering too.

Breeders can still sell to the public, the law only applies to brick-and-mortar stores.

I think you can't legislate morality and there will be immediate work-arounds, puppy mills will bribe shelters and the pet store will find a way to pay the mill after it has bribed the shelter and the pet store has the pups.
And of course as pointed out, people can still buy direct from breeders.
Some critters get to shelters because they have issues, such as biting issues. I'm waiting to see what will happen when little Billy gets his face torn off after his parents bought a rescue from a high class uptown pet store that got the mauler from a shelter per the new law.

I would think that pet stores could easily create a "Puppy Tinder" Ap which they could then broker from the puppy mills, but I do see a positive: this could hopefully reduce impulse buys of cute cuddly throw-away puppies in the window.

I'll just repeat what I wrote on the other forum -
I was rather surprised by this because I thought it was ALREADY outlawed here in CA. I haven't seen dogs or cats for sale here at any pet shop or mall shop since the late 80s.
Even the petcos/petsmarts and local dog/cat food supply shops only work with rescues already.

I like the idea behind it to promote people adopting but I think it may be a bit misguided and people shouldn't be restricted from buying a pure breed if that's what they want. However CA loves to put laws on every and anything /shrug

Backyard breeders and mills have always sold on CL and will continue to do so as long as people are willing to support/buy from them, sadly.

Does this legislation say anything on the price at which the pet shops sell the rescues? Or rules that say the animal must be labeled as a rescue? If not, this law seems like it makes it easier for unscrupulous businesses a way to sell off problem animals at a higher price tag to unsuspecting purchasers.

I volunteer in dog rescue and can tell you most of our strays come from people who didn't intend to breed their dog(s), often by letting them roam unaccompanied. Urban or rural, it's a huge problem. But still another problem is selling dogs in pet shops, which I agree seems to be a disappearing trade, oftentimes puts dogs in the homes of people who have no idea of what they're getting into. These dogs oftentimes get dumped in the country, like in front of my house. But many of the puppy mills are nothing short of disgusting in the way they house and care for the dogs. I don't see the need for them at all.