A new proposal was presented to the Dallas City Council regarding an ordinance that would protect both the animals and people against inhumane and deceptive breeding and selling practices according to a Dallas Observer article from December 11. In it they say,
“Last week, Dallas got one step closer to prohibiting puppy and kitten sales in pet stores, a move that advocates say would protect puppies and consumers alike. But some pet store owners say it could also spell the end for their business.
The proposed ordinance would prevent the transport of hundreds of sick pets from out-of-state puppy mills, said Shelby Bobosky, executive director of the Texas Humane Legislation Network (THLN). Switching to a humane pet store model would mean that puppies and kittens can only be adopted from stores, rather than sold.
“It’s clear that industry best practices and acceptable standards have shifted away from this inhumane and deceptive business practice,” Loney said, “and that this ordinance would serve to bring puppy-selling pet stores in line with the dozens of other Dallas pet stores that already don’t sell puppies.
On top of protecting dogs, the proposed ordinance would save customers from getting locked into a deceptive financial commitment, Bobosky said. As a Dallas attorney, she’s represented consumers who have signed confusing pet-store contracts with Petland.”
Odyssey Pets, which doesn’t sell puppies or kittens but instead utilizes adoption, showed its advocacy as it supported the movement and ordinance against selling puppies and kittens according to a NBC DFW article from December 6 which states,
“There’s plenty of dogs available for adoption which is what we promote. We’re not anti-pure-bred dog. We’re just anti-puppy mill,” Odyssey Owner Mike Doan said.
His store has a feral cat on display for adoption in the front window. He supports a ban on the sale of puppies and kittens to combat puppy mill breeding.
“You cannot ethically do this on a large scale and feel good about what you are doing because they are literally stacking dogs in small crates one on top of the other,” Doan said.
“We have some local, we have some that are non-local. The biggest and most important thing is that they are the best of the best,” she said.”
Despite the movement and proposal, the Dallas City Council only heard the presenters and their briefing and scheduled a final deliberation this February 2022.
Leave a Reply