You might have fun looking at the adorable puppies in a pet store, but if you knew where they came from it might change your mind. Puppy mills have been a huge issue all over, and the conditions are enough to make any animal lover sick.
These poor dogs are kept in cages, and born to mothers who are forced to breed over and over again just so the owners can make a buck. The California lawmakers have finally stepped in to make the world a better place for animals.
Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law bill A.B. 485 which makes it illegal for pet stores to sell any dogs, cats or even rabbits that are not coming from a shelter or rescue. The law will come into effect in 2019 and animal lovers everywhere are applauding the move.
But not everyone is in favor of the law...
An unexpected organization is opposed to the ban. The American Kennel Club (AKC) has released a statement in opposition to the ruling, saying that "it not only interferes with individual freedoms, it also increases the likelihood that a person will obtain a pet that is not a good match for their lifestyle and the likelihood that that animal will end up in a shelter," the organization said in a statement.
Their concerns are a little confusing because you would think the AKC would concern itself primarily with the safety of animals, and puppy mills are not a safe place to raise dogs.
Tony La Russa's Animal Rescue Foundation's exectutive director, Elena Bicker said that "the problem is puppy mills, and this law is specifically targeting shutting down and not supporting puppies being manufactured in unsafe, unsociable, and horrific conditions."
The AKC's concerns are a little bizarre because private breeders will still be allowed to sell animals independently, they just can't sell them at pet stores.
Bicker however is thrilled with the new policy. "This is a great law. California is setting the standard and elevating the status of pets in society by targeting the puppy mills and elevating shelter pets as a place in homes."
