Oppose the Pet Shop Ban
Please Support Pets. Ask your Massachusetts lawmakers to Oppose the pet shop ban in Senate bill 3028, which would cause pets to become victims of the black market.
S. 3028 would ban the sale of cats and dogs at family-owned pet shops. Family-owned pet shops are licensed, regulated, and inspected — the most accountable option available, giving customers a known breed, medical history, and proof of vaccination and veterinary care, along with warranties that other sources can’t match. Family-owned pet shops work with USDA licensed breeders with clean records. They offer families breed-specific puppies for their pet companion.
A ban makes it more difficult for people to obtain pets from this humane and regulated source, driving them to look for pets on TikTok, Craiglist, or other online marketplaces–where there are fewer consumer and animal protections.
These bills will hurt pets and people, not help them, by:
- Creating a black market for pets that can include abuse and trafficking
- Causing families to become victims to internet scams
- Removing a transparent and highly regulated source of pets
The best policy for pets is to ensure all pets are treated well – not make them harder to legally obtain. The ban misses the mark and fails to address the real issue of animal cruelty and irresponsible animal breeding. Sign your name to tell your state legislators to vote no on the pet shop ban.
What Are Pet Bans?
Pet bans don’t ban pets outright, but they make it harder to get one. Typically, these laws ban stores from selling dogs, cats, and rabbits. Increasingly, these laws ban guinea pigs and other pets, too. A recent law in D.C. bans the sale of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and birds.
Advocates claim these laws help pets, but it’s the opposite: They actually hurt pets.
Here’s how these laws hurt pets:
Losing Legal Protection
Pet stores are the most regulated and transparent source of pets. Stores offer warranties and protections for consumers that shelters and rescues don’t. Laws that ban sales at pet stores cause families to turn to less regulated sources where they have less protections. Some even become victims of online scams.
Scams
After California passed a statewide ban on stores selling pets, reports of pet scams went up 350%. According to a Veterinarians.org analysis, “California is the state with the most reported puppy scams.”
Foreign Puppy Mills
The Centers for Disease Control reports that puppies are being trafficked into the U.S. from abroad. Puppies are bred in foreign “puppy mills” before being imported as “rescue” dogs.
Deadly Conditions?
Animals can die during long transports from abroad. In 2020, a plane landing in Toronto with 500 French bulldog puppies had dozens of dead puppies die during transit.
Better Solutions
People are rightly seeking to ensure the welfare of animals sold through stores. The way to do this is to address animal welfare directly. Banning stores from selling animals only creates a black market where there is less protection for animals. After all, Prohibition didn’t stop moonshiners–it helped them.
Effective solutions include:
Third-Party Certification
Consumers should support efforts to develop and implement certification programs based on sound science and demonstrated data. This is one of the most effective ways to protect animal welfare and consumers.
Transparency
Some states require pet stores to provide information about which breeders animals come from. This transparency helps ensure that dogs come from breeders in good standing.
Good Regulation
Breeders that sell across state lines must be inspected and regulated by the USDA. Almost all states that are major breeding states have additional regulations of dog breeding. But federal import regulations are lax, which makes it easy for pet traffickers. The USDA estimates more than 1 million dogs are brought into the country every year–and less than 1 percent fall under Animal Welfare Act regulations. The CDC reports that pet traffickers have found loopholes to federal regulation. The Healthy Dog Importation Act would close loopholes used by traffickers.
Ready To Help?
Tell your legislators to oppose pet bans!