Under a bill passed by the Oregon legislature, pet stores in Oregon will no longer sell dogs and cats.
Proponents say House Bill 2915 will make it harder for unscrupulous puppy mills to find markets for their products. It does not apply to animal shelters that offer dogs or cats for adoption, or pet shops that partner with animal welfare organizations to offer shelter pets for adoption.
The House of Representatives’ Business and Labor Committee approved the bill after brief debate on Wednesday. It now heads to the house floor.
The bill won’t apply to existing pet stores until they change owners, so the short-term impact will be limited.
Many pet stores are phasing out the sale of dogs and cats, instead focusing on pet food and supplies and other animals. Several states, including Washington and California, already have similar laws. is enacted.
The bill does not prevent private breeders from selling dogs and cats directly to consumers. This is already commonly done. Existing laws regulate such breeders and are intended to prevent the inhumane treatment of animals.
Committee Chair Rep. Paul Holby, D-Eugene, said, “I’d like to acknowledge that there are a lot of good breeders out there.” I’m not.”
Although the committee vote was not unanimous, the bill received unanimous support from both Democrats and Republicans. But at least one Republican on the committee who voted for the bill expressed some hesitation.
“I love puppies, but I don’t like restricting business,” said R-Roseburg MP Virgile Osborne. “I think there’s probably a better solution here. I think that solution probably lies in supporting the laws that are already in place…against puppy mills.”
It’s unclear how many pet stores in Oregon sell puppies and kittens that haven’t been through a shelter. Rep. Julie Fahy (D, Eugene), one of her members of Congress, suggested in written testimony that the number could be in her single digits.
But industry groups are intervening nonetheless.
Robert Likins, executive vice president of the Pet Advocacy Network, which represents pet retailers, said, “Although well-meaning, the ban on retail pet sales is unregulated and unsanctioned. , and the companies that provide them. “The ban will harm highly regulated pet stores and eliminate the most transparent source of pets that offers legal protection to buyers.”
