All dogs, cats and rabbits sold in pet stores in the state of California must now come directly from shelters and nonprofit rescues, instead of breeders or notoriously cruel puppy mills.
California’s Governor Jerry Brown signed the Pet Rescue and Adoption Act (Assembly Bill 485), authored by Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell (D. Long Beach), on Friday, officially making it illegal for any of those animals sold to would-be pet owners to come from anywhere but a rescue or shelter.
“This is a big win for our four-legged friends, of course,” O’Donnell said in a statement on Friday, the Orange County Register reported. “But also for California taxpayers who spend more than $250 million annually to house and euthanize animals in our shelters. I am very grateful for the strong support we received from animal-lovers across the state and from Social Compassion in Legislation — the bill’s sponsor.”
O’Donnell has two rescue dogs and said that the bill and the issue was “very personal” to him.
But some in the pet industry are not happy with the new law that does not restrict California residents from purchasing a furry friend directly from a breeder, if they’d like to.
“Assembly Bill 485 reverses California’s tradition of leading the nation in pet and consumer protections,” president of the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council, Mike Bober, told the OCR. “It also strips consumers of many pet store protections, risks hundreds of jobs, and reduces pet choice.”
The bill is expected by some, however, to greatly reduce the number of pets in shelters who often don’t find homes. It is the first time a state-wide mandate has been instituted on pet stores.
“There is no doubt that this will help cut down on the number of animals who go into animal shelters,” senior vice president for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Daphna Nachminovitch, told the New York Times in September, before the bill was signed. “Nothing in this bill stops people from purchasing an animal from a private breeder.”
The bill officially takes effect on Jan. 1, 2019. Anyone who violates the new law after that date faces penalties as high as $500 per pet.
