Legislation recently filed in Florida’s state capitol, if passed, would ban the retail sale of dogs and cats state-wide.
Banning the sale of dogs and cats in pet stores is currently the top legislative priority for the Humane Society of the United States, says a report from WCJB.
“Five states have passed a similar bill,” said Kate MacFall, Florida State Director at the Humane Society.
The Problem With Selling Dogs
With retail stores, there are two massively concerning issues for the Humane Society.
The first is that these stores typically source their animals from puppy mills, which are “commercial large-scale breeders,” MacFall told WCJB. Their primary priority is not the well-being of these animals, but the profit they garner from their sale.
Second is the issue of “impulse buying” by humans who can’t take on the responsibility of a pet, but see a sad “puppy in the window,” as MacFall noted. These stores strategically prey upon that reaction in order to turn a profit.
The direct result of this, once these humans realize that they’re in over their head, is that those animals often wind up in shelters, or much worse.
Under this new legislation, selling animals in retail stores would be met with a $500 fine, while the sale from shelters, or smaller, more responsible breeders would remain legal.
What Does It Mean For Breeders?
Carol Hoover — the owner of Carol’s Critters, which no longer sells pups — raised concerns about what a “blanket ban” would mean for the trusted breeders that she’s worked with who have done right by their animals.
While Hoover stated that she understands the concerns with large retailers, she said that some smaller, local breeders, rely on retail stores, as well. They don’t have a storefront of their own to connect with buyers.
“I visited the breeders. I went to their actual houses,” said Hoover, speaking of when she did have pups for sale in her store. “A lot of people didn’t want other people coming to their house… this was another outlet for them.”
Should the bill passes in Florida, it would have an effective date of July 1st, 2022. However, the Humane Society did note to WCJB that a rollout plan would be implemented to allow retailers time to sell the pets they already have in their stores.
DogTime always recommends adopting pets if you have the option. There are so many dogs, many purebred, waiting for homes in shelters. You can find just about any kind of dog you want. Check out our adoption page that lets you search for adoptable dogs by breed and zip code!
Do you think Florida should ban the sale of animals in pet stores? Would you prefer that stores have adoptable animals from shelters instead? Let us know in the comments below.
