San Francisco officials have voted to ban the sale of dogs and cats at pet shops unless the animals are from rescues. It's part of the city's effort to get rid of inhumane puppy breeding operations in the city and help facilitate the adoption of the thousands of pets occupying the city's shelters.
The Californian city is just the latest US city to adopt the measure. The new rules also ban pet stores from selling dogs under 8 weeks of age.
“Most animal lovers are horrified at the thought of keeping their beloved family pet in a dirty wire cage for a second — let alone a week, month or even years. Yet, that is the fate of many animals at large-scale commercial breeding operations across the nation, including the mothers of many puppies and kittens sold in pet shops,” the San Francisco Board of Supervisors wrote in an op-ed piece. “In response, more than 200 cities and counties across the nation have banned the sale of dogs and cats in pet stores.”
District 4 Supervisor Katy Tang, who sponsored the legislation in the city, also called on the US Agriculture Department to reinstate information on large-scale dog breeders on its website. The website, which documents animal cruelty cases and the findings of investigators, was removed earlier this month.
“This ordinance will serve as a deterrent, preventing a business from moving into San Francisco and selling animals from irresponsible mass-producing breeders that churn out puppies and kittens as if they were on an assembly line,” Tang wrote.
More than 6,000 dogs and cats are rehomed through San Francisco’s animal shelters, along with the city’s branch of the SPCA.
