It’s a great victory for dogs, cats, and dog and cat lovers, alike! Atlanta, Georgia has joined the growing count of U.S. cities that ban puppy mill and retail store-sold puppies and kittens.
This new law will effectively ban the sourcing of puppies from puppy mills, a practice common in pet stores. Some estimate that up to 99 percent of puppies sold in retail stores across the country are sourced from puppy mills.
The city council of Atlanta has effectively passed to law the bill that has been in process since October 2018. Council voting occurred in November when it was finally passed into law.
The law affects only store sellers and exempts licensed breeders. For now, the law is more of a precautionary dictate rather than a punitive one, as there are no pet stores operating in Atlanta. Still, it effectively lessens the threat of any potential pet stores opening in the future.
Progress For Pets Everywhere In The U.S.
This is a progressive move in the U.S., as Maryland recently became the second state to ban the sale of dogs and cats from unofficial breeders. California was the first, as the state passed the law last year that dictates shopping and selling of pets from only shelters and rescue centers.
Ohio may be the next in line in approving this law. There are 250 municipalities that are looking to implement their own bans on pet sales from puppy mills. This would be a big change because current laws in most states are not properly enforced, and even though regulations are in place, investigations yielded that a lot of stores still do not follow the rules.
The Danger Of Puppy Mills
Puppy mills are the enemy of dog lovers. Despite the relatively healthy puppies sold in pet stores, the conditions that they were subjected to before are far from humane. In fact, puppy mills are factories for pets because they maximize profit for minimal maintenance expenses. Puppy mills subject female dogs to cruelty, horrid living conditions, and potential illnesses because of the mostly uninhabitable environment.
This is a great big step for puppies, cats, and even bunnies—virtually any pet that needs to be showered with love and care. Getting dogs and cats from a shelter will mean that you can rescue a pet already in need of a home.
Are you happy to hear about Atlanta’s puppy mill animal ban? Do you hope to see it happen all over the country? Let us know in the comments below!
Related articles:
Adopt A Pet Dog Or Puppy: What You Need To Know
New San Francisco Law Requires All Pet Stores To Sell Rescue Dogs And Cats Only
