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I still find that offensive. It’s nice that our governor will permit sales of doggy toys and leashes. Living in New York, I feel like I need permission to breathe. On the other hand, people who obey no laws at all have free reign to do whatever they want.
I should not have to ask permission of Her Royal Highness to buy a pet.
As Metlakatla explained (somewhat), it's not about having permission to buy a dog or cat - it's merely restricting their sale in PET STORES, where the animals being sold are almost 100% from puppy/kitten mills or backyard breeders. A legitimate breeder would never sell their litters that way, as they very carefully select and screen every potential buyer. Sometimes you can wait months or even years for a well-bred dog or cat, especially if it's a less common breed.
It also cuts back on impulse-buying, aka "How much is that doggie in the window" purchases. Those are highly problematic, as these animals are a 15-20 year commitment on average, so you really need to do some research before purchasing or adopting one. Picking out a fluffy husky puppy because it's cute, without doing any research on the breed and its genetics first, is just a recipe for disaster. That's why huskies are so common in shelters! I have an adopted one myself, who was found stray and neglected in Central CA. He's an amazing dog, but it's not the right breed for everyone.
At any rate, dog and cat SALES (adoption centers are okay) have been banned here in California for decades. You can still get a purebred dog directly from a breeder, and there are also millions of lovely pets waiting in shelters/rescues for their homes. It has only reduced the number of mills, which is a good thing.
On another note my heart is still rended by an earlier post about someone's Golden Retriever literally sobbing itself to death after it's family and "pack" lost interest. Dogs are such wonderful, giving animals.
Always glad to educate people on them! And yes, dogs are an entirely different kind of pet... they aren't called "man/woman's best friend" for no reason. Truly the most giving and loyal of pets, no doubt.
As Metlakatla explained (somewhat), it's not about having permission to buy a dog or cat - it's merely restricting their sale in PET STORES, where the animals being sold are almost 100% from puppy/kitten mills or backyard breeders. A legitimate breeder would never sell their litters that way, as they very carefully select and screen every potential buyer. Sometimes you can wait months or even years for a well-bred dog or cat, especially if it's a less common breed.
It also cuts back on impulse-buying, aka "How much is that doggie in the window" purchases. Those are highly problematic, as these animals are a 15-20 year commitment on average, so you really need to do some research before purchasing or adopting one. Picking out a fluffy husky puppy because it's cute, without doing any research on the breed and its genetics first, is just a recipe for disaster. That's why huskies are so common in shelters! I have an adopted one myself, who was found stray and neglected in Central CA. He's an amazing dog, but it's not the right breed for everyone.
At any rate, dog and cat SALES (adoption centers are okay) have been banned here in California for decades. You can still get a purebred dog directly from a breeder, and there are also millions of lovely pets waiting in shelters/rescues for their homes. It has only reduced the number of mills, which is a good thing.
On the other hand is turning obtaining a dog into a bureaucratic nightmare a good idea? My sister-in-law lives in California. Trust me any dog they get has gone to heaven without dying. And yet one of the adoption places they approached rejected them. Eventually adoption centers will be forced to take "diversity" into account, and the process will get worse. The drumbeat will be that white, upper-middle class Jewish professionals have it too easy, more diverse people do not. That is what happens with selective vetting.
There is no way to avoid politicizing the process. Sorry, but I like the free market, with some regulation in this case for humanity and responsibility.
There is a podcast about this now- Puppy Kingpin. It is pretty interesting. I guess even though some cities outlawed sales of anything but rescues from stores, the mills ended up laundering puppies through “rescue” organizations that would then go on to sell the puppy mill puppies at prices they were charging before, instead of a price you’d expect at a rescue. There are some rescue organizations that occasionally sell a purebred puppy at a higher price than average, but they typically don’t sell ONLY those dogs.
Just because the animal can't speak does not mean it has nothing to say.
People tend to think animals are dumb, nothing could be further from the truth.
Animals may not all speak your language but if you pay close attention they can tell you what concerns them.
I have had several rescues and kept them till they aged and passed away, each having their own challenges due to their previous relationships.
In my teens, a fellow taught me how to tame grey squirrels and I had 5 of them that would climb up my pantleg for a treat. One let me pet her.
I have had wild rabbits completely unafraid of me letting me pick them up and do an examination, and not even run after setting them down, Animals can sense your character.
Dad taught me a great deal after having been bitten several times by strange dogs, I had to learn my actions around them and what made them uncomfortable. I have also dealt with deer, bear and mountain lions in the wild and sent them away without confrontation. Even insects can be sent out rather than killing, except flies. they are just evil.
People have pets for differing reasons, the worst of which is a status symbol.
Animals as accidental pets are not furniture but again they have no real love for the creature and they know it.
When the opportunity presents it's self I give my dog (Abby) the option of going with me or staying home, it's her choice.
I give her treats and rewards and just plain doting on her, she knows the discipline I require, and is anxious to be sure I know she thinks of me.
I learned recently that I have a garter snake living in my house, I thought my dog took care of the mouse problem but apparently not. So the snake is here to stay till it decides to leave. My dog won't bother it unless I tell her to.
When I first got Abby she was excited to chase my chickens and All I had to do is say NO Abby, and that was enough.
She knows however that it is OK to chase crows and ravans and ground squirrels out of the yard, they steal eggs.
Out side the yard I feed the wild life, it's a haven in a sense.
I hunt, but strictly for food not for fun, because it isn't fun, but some times it's necessary.
There are people that need company being lonely, age doesn't matter. Though they may not know anything about caring for the animal if a bond is possible both will learn. if the person has severe problems a pet won't change anything.
Those providing an animal should have a good judge of character, especially with puppies or kittens.
On the other hand is turning obtaining a dog into a bureaucratic nightmare a good idea? My sister-in-law lives in California. Trust me any dog they get has gone to heaven without dying. And yet one of the adoption places they approached rejected them. Eventually adoption centers will be forced to take "diversity" into account, and the process will get worse. The drumbeat will be that white, upper-middle class Jewish professionals have it too easy, more diverse people do not. That is what happens with selective vetting.
There is no way to avoid politicizing the process. Sorry, but I like the free market, with some regulation in this case for humanity and responsibility.
Sorry, but I like healthy (intended) dogs going to responsible owners.
The rest of what you wrote is arguable at best, especially since I've been able to adopt many pets over the years without any issues - from the time I was a struggling student living in rented apartments, to now being that exact "white, upper-middle class Jewish professional" of which you speak. These laws have been in effect since the mid-90s, too, so all of your "but then THIS will happen" has already been proven wrong by our model.
If you really want a pet, you will take the time to find one through proper channels. This isn't about "bureaucracy," it's about looking out for the welfare of animals by shutting down PUPPY AND KITTEN MILLS. Those are literally the only people who benefit from pet shop sales, so I'm struggling to understand why you'd be arguing against that. Nobody is saying to put an end to breeding or sales altogether; do you not get that? And hey... if you're that determined to buy a poorly-bred BYB or mill puppy/kitten, there's always Craigslist.
There is a podcast about this now- Puppy Kingpin. It is pretty interesting. I guess even though some cities outlawed sales of anything but rescues from stores, the mills ended up laundering puppies through “rescue” organizations that would then go on to sell the puppy mill puppies at prices they were charging before, instead of a price you’d expect at a rescue. There are some rescue organizations that occasionally sell a purebred puppy at a higher price than average, but they typically don’t sell ONLY those dogs.
I've heard this exact argument before, I think from Met in fact. But the bottom line is that ANY reduction of puppy/kitten mill sales is a win. If some of them find loopholes or other avenues for selling their litters, so be it - we can't stop them all. But the harder we make it for them, the fewer will remain in business. Buyers are getting smarter too, which really works against them as well. Here in California, just mentioning "I bought a puppy at a pet shop" will get you serious eye-rolls and lectures.
And in all the years I've volunteered with and adopted from various rescue organizations, I've never once encountered what you claim. So if it is happening, I'd say it's a very small percentage of orgs that participate.
There is no way to avoid politicizing the process. Sorry, but I like the free market, with some regulation in this case for humanity and responsibility.
Adding to this part of your comment... what I'm talking about IS a case for "humanity and responsibility." Literally.
These bans on pet shop sales only restrict the sellers, not the buyers. Again, you can still find breeders on your own if you're determined to get a purebred. You can even buy one online to be shipped, through sites like this and this. I considered getting a purebred Cattle Dog puppy last year, and contacted a few breeders through these sites; none of them seemed too concerned with my "qualifications," let alone my ethnicity or financial status. That concerned me, plus I realized a puppy wasn't a good fit. So I went with a rescue (adult husky) instead.
Anyone who whines "but I won't be able to find a (insert breed)!" clearly isn't trying very hard. I just did a search on Puppyfinder, which is the online equivalent of a pet shop - and just for Australian Shepherds alone, I found over 800 listings. So there are still PLENTY of puppies being bred, but this way you have to stop and think about it. No more impulse purchases or easy off-loading for the mills. That's it.
On the other hand is turning obtaining a dog into a bureaucratic nightmare a good idea? My sister-in-law lives in California. Trust me any dog they get has gone to heaven without dying. And yet one of the adoption places they approached rejected them. Eventually adoption centers will be forced to take "diversity" into account, and the process will get worse. The drumbeat will be that white, upper-middle class Jewish professionals have it too easy, more diverse people do not. That is what happens with selective vetting.
There is no way to avoid politicizing the process. Sorry, but I like the free market, with some regulation in this case for humanity and responsibility.
People are turned down at rescues/shelters all the time. Sometimes, it's just that there have been a lot of applications for a particular dog. Nonetheless, there are a lot of legitimate breeders in California, and your sister-in-law shouldn't have a problem finding the right one. There's no guarantee that a pet store would have had the dog she wanted, either. These are living creatures; not something you should just be able to go pick up at the local mall.
I applied for a certain dog at the local shelter; someone else was first or whatever, because I didn't get the dog. That's how life works sometimes; not everything is some big conspiracy.
We manage just fine in Oregon without pet stores that feed the puppy mill pipeline. I didn't notice any "bureaucratic nightmares!" when I got my last dog. People need to stop scaremongering about things they're ignorant about and stop acting like every single thing bit of humane legislation is designed to "take away their freedom!"
Last edited by Metlakatla; 08-28-2022 at 07:28 PM..
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