US News & World Report: Several States Move to Ban Sales of Pets in Stores

More than 250 municipalities have imposed their own bans or restrictions on pet sales and breeders. This fall, Ohio voters will decide whether to approve a statewide referendum that would require commercial breeders to meet prescribed standards of animal care and treatment, and would prohibit breeders and sellers – wherever they are located – from peddling pets to Ohio consumers unless those humane standards are met. And state lawmakers in New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey are working on their own legislation to ban puppy- and kitten-mill pet sales or encourage municipalities to do so.

“They say the values of a society can be judged by how it treats its animals. It’s a poor statement about us” that puppy and kitten mills continue to exist, says New York state Sen. Michael Gianaris, a Democrat, whose bill would allow pet stores to offer shelter and rescue animals for adoption, and not for sale. Gianaris – who has two rescue cats – says reputable breeders are OK, but “it’s the mass production of animals for sale we’re trying to prevent.”

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