Small pet selling ban in S.F.

[Spoof]

It's "under consideration".

Interesting article, I know we touched on this in the chinchilla section.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/07/08/MN9L1EAT90.DTL

I found the bit about hamsters very interesting.

 

[Peep_erz]

That is very interesting. I'm all for taking pets out of petstores and educating people to rescue or find a good breeder but does anyone ever look for a hamster breeder?

 

[ticklechin]

Good, after the HORRID chins that CAchins got from Animal Control in SF during a Mom and Pop pet store bust, I hope they ban all animals, even frickin fish.

 

[minrex]

Good, after the HORRID chins that CAchins got from Animal Control in SF during a Mom and Pop pet store bust, I hope they ban all animals, even frickin fish.

Yes, because one bad pet store means that they should all be put out of business.

It sure didn't sound like the author of that article likes hamsters.

 

[AZChins]

I heard about that on the news. I have mixed feelings about it...but maybe it will help...I don't know!

 

[fanofdmb84]

Personally, I think they are going about it the wrong way. I would much rather see people have to get a license to own a pet. Yep, get a booklet, study it, and then take and pass a test before you are allowed to own animals. It would eliminate any "impulse" buys, and it would make sure people were at least aware of basics...like pets need to be fed every day. I'm still surprised at how many people don't know that. The test could also point out all the implications of pets--some are active at night, some live a long time, your kids probably won't take care of them, etc etc. Why should we go after small businesses? It's the dumb people who buy the animals and then dump them because it wasn't what they were expecting. If we [forcibly] educate them, there's no excuses. Think about it: nearly everyone takes a driving test. Millions of people get licenses to hunt and carry guns, etc. Why not have a license to be responsible for another LIFE?

 

[GorillaJTA]

Flea is the first pet-store animal I have kept in a while, but this concerns me more for some other issues such as the small business owners. It would make it so that only the big stores would stay afloat. Add to that people that need to purchase live animals frequently (I have a snake that eats every 3 weeks and will only eat live rats), and this is way to restrictive.

 

[CTChin]

Yes, because one bad pet store means that they should all be put out of business.

It sure didn't sound like the author of that article likes hamsters.

I had about 6 to 12 hamsters at a time growing up and only one was "mean." I loved the little guys. I guess they would be an impulse pet because people assume because they're little, they must be easy to care for.

This is an important issue but I wish people would be more concerned about the 5 milliion dogs and cats that die in our country's shelters every year. Now THAT is a disgrace.

 

[StevieP]

"People buy small animals all the time as an impulse buy, don't know what they're getting into, and the animals end up at the shelter and often are euthanized," said commission Chairwoman Sally Stephens. "That's what we'd like to stop."

THIS is why I agree with the ban. Rescues are overflowing with pets. There are too many homeless pets out there and pet stores just add to the problem. It is unfortunate that pet stores will loose revenue, but if they gave a (*insert profane word here*) about the welfare of animals they would support this potential ban. But they won't, because they are a business trying to make money.

There's my $0.02

 

[ticklechin]

I find it odd, people don't like the fact that Petco/Petsmart sell chins and post threads about how they feel sorry for the chins, but there are people that are against banning animal sales in SF, does not make sense to me.

 

[Ash]

I'm with you, Dawn. I'd love to see animal sales banned and people pressured to find GOOD breeders. Not only would it stop the morons and decrease what we have in shelters, but it would also decrease puppy mills and their pocket pet/reptile/etc equivalents.

If nothing else, there should be some form of a holding period in which people have to think about what they're doing before buying the animal and I agree with taking a test about their knowledge.

Adopters at a shelter or rescue go through a questionaire and such to be sure they know what they are getting into, why can't it be the same for a pet store? Oh, that's right. It'd take too much time/money.

 

[AZChins]

Does the ban extend to private parties selling animals? Or is it just stores and brokers?

If they ban the sales of animals, are they going to ban animal ownership in the future? Taking away people's rights to have pets could be the next step and that's what I would worry about.

Oh yeah, I would be completely thrilled if petstores stopped selling animals! They do not ask people any questions and I don't think they care at all about where the animals go and if they are cared for properly. Basically the animals go to whomever has the cash. Still, breeders may do exactly the same thing and just take the money without caring or educating anyone.

I hope that if the ban passes, it will help ease the problem with overpopulation of pets and suffering of animals at least a little.

 

[ticklechin]

Its just retail pet stores according to the local news here, they can sell supplies just not live animals except fish. If you actually went to some of the small stanky pet stores in SF, especially some ethnic sections of the city, they make Petco look like animal paradise. So unless you have been there, and I have been to several, you just don't understand how bad it is.

 

[Melissa]

The article isnt saying that people arent going to allowed to own pets. It just says that its making it harder for people to obtain one. Forcing them to go outside of their immediate area to go get an animal. The distance will make people think a little more before buying the animal.

Im also interested in knowing if this will affect private party sales. If it does, BYB will be at a high. The demand for animals will be high because they arent as easy to get. So people will be unethically breeding to meet those demands. And people will pay a higher dollar for them. Which in turn will make BYBs want to breed more. Then you will have the health problems that come with BYB and people rather than spending the time and money on vet bills will just drop them at the local animal shelter or in the street. Especially since animal shelters have a relinquishing fee. People rather toss them to the curb.

I am 100% for seeing impulse buys go down. But I think these law makers need to look at the bigger picture. They are going about it all wrong. I think people should be allowed to have pets but I think there SHOULD be some license that comes with it. And it doesnt have to be expensive. Poor people can love an animal all the same. But I think classes and car are a must. And fines for animal mistreatment should be enforced more.

Basically, I think there are other ways to regulate impulse buys. Maybe even put people on a wait list for x-amount of time. Or make it mandatory that people get a shelter pet until the numbers go down. I dont know but banning the sale of animals I dont thinking is 100% the solution to the problem.

 

[ticklechin]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37359894/ns/health-pet_health

 

[Spoof]

I'm glad pet stores have the freedom to sell small animals - I'd have never started my chin journey if they hadn't.

I've always felt they should require them to comply with the same USDA regulations as breeders - but they don't. If you're a breeder and run a storefront you don't need a USDA license either, which is kind of whacked.

Those bans would do absolutely nothing to the dog and cat population here. Louisiana is a good 20 years behind mainstream thinking. Neutering is just not the thing to do.

Oh, there are groups that push it and they have reduced and feral clinics, but the wild cat and dog population is so high the shelters are overflowing with random puppies/kittens that nobody wants. Just look at our craigslist - these people aren't puppy mills, just idiots who don't believe in spaying or neutering. They do the same with their horses, you should see all the studs, not because they want to breed the horse, they just don't believe in the snip.

They're also real big on turning their pets loose when they don't want them any more. This includes horses! Ugh.

 

[tunes]

I'm with you, Dawn. I'd love to see animal sales banned and people pressured to find GOOD breeders. Not only would it stop the morons and decrease what we have in shelters, but it would also decrease puppy mills and their pocket pet/reptile/etc equivalents.

You're living in a dream world. Has the fact that there have always been good breeders available stopped BYBs from starting up their empires? No, and it isn't going to guarantee that anybody gets anything from a reputable breeder just because a pet store doesn't sell what they want. They are going to the first and cheapest they can find. Puppy mills aren't going to stop. They are going to continue to breed and sell right out of their place of business. You also aren't considering animals that are shipped overseas. Nothing is going to change. The only difference is, you won't be able to buy pets in a pet store.

Im also interested in knowing if this will affect private party sales. If it does, BYB will be at a high. The demand for animals will be high because they arent as easy to get. So people will be unethically breeding to meet those demands. And people will pay a higher dollar for them. Which in turn will make BYBs want to breed more. Then you will have the health problems that come with BYB and people rather than spending the time and money on vet bills will just drop them at the local animal shelter or in the street. Especially since animal shelters have a relinquishing fee. People rather toss them to the curb.

You got it Mel. This is exactly what will happen, as I stated above.

I too would love to see no animals sold at a pet store. I hate seeing feeder rats and mice, and all the other animals that are there. But if you think that animals are going to magically be held in high regard by impulsive idiots, you are living in la-la land. Not gonna happen. We are a disposable society. Disposable marriage, disposable kids, disposable elderly, disposable pets. Stopping a pet store from selling pets isn't going to change that.

ETA after reading Tara's post: I would never even have known what a chinchilla was had I not seen one first in a pet store. The same thing with my love of rats. I got my first rats in a pet store. Had they not been there, I would have never known about them.

 

[AZChins]

It's not that the law says that people can't have pets now, it may be that the law could make it easier for a complete ban on pets to later be put in place. That would be my only concern.

There's a lot of bad petstores out there. They do make Petco look good. It's really a shame.

Even with the backyard breeders around there wouldn't be as many impulse buys for sure! The animals are RIGHT THERE when people go in to buy their petfood and supplies. Most of the people that I talk to and have purchased their chins from petstores bought them without doing any research and without even knowing that they wanted chins. It's really sad.

Out here imposing a ban on the sale of animals in petstores wouldn't help much with overpopulation. There's so many people that let their cats and dogs just pump out the kittens and puppies...the petstores seem to not really impact that nearly as much as the bad pet owners, who do not get their animals spayed.

 

[Jazicat]

I am a true animal lover and always have been. My house is full of rescued cats and birds no one valued. I would love it if laws would make people better pet owners but it won't and impulse buying pets will only be curbed. When these laws are made they always look good but will take rights away from both good and bad pet sellers.

Slowly in California they are taking our rights to own certain animals away with no grandfather clause. One day your pet is legal the next it won't be because it "may" create a population in the wild. All of my birds would be illegal as they include lovebirds, starlings and pigeons. The pigeons are already illegal to house in city limits even if kept 100% indoors.

How soon would it be before they start going after breeders of all animals and chinchillas are already a target because of the fur industry. I guess for me the concern is where will these laws go next and will it take my rights away as a pet owner.

 

[StevieP]

The problem is that there are too many pets and not enough homes for them. If someone wants a pet they should look at the shelter or craigslist as the article said. Why buy from a pet store or even a breeder if there is already a pet who needs to be adopted, and may be killed because someone wants a "new pet" from a store...??

There is no way to solve the problem but this might help.

I don't see a reason to worry about future laws that may affect pet owners, after all, this ban is because there are not enough loyal pet lovers/owners.