Council Votes on Pet Shop Ban
By LOREL KANE
Updated 2:31 PM PDT, Tue, Feb 2, 2010
The West Hollywood City Council Monday night voted on the consent calendar to pass landmark legislation that would ban the sale of dogs and cats in pet shops.
Only pet stores that sell rescued or abandon animals would be allowed to stay in business.
City Council member Jeffrey Prang made the first announcement yesterday, a brief mention in the prospective City Council agenda for Feb. 1; Carole Davis of Companion Animal Protection Society (CAPS) confirmed for WeHo News late on Thursday that the item would be on the agenda.
Carole Davis of Companion Animal Protections Society (CAPS) assisted the Animal Legal Defense Fund and the City of West Hollywood in drafting the ordinance, as well as providing evidence,” sufficient to cause City Council to act.
Proponents of the ban say it coculd be the beginning of the end of puppy mills. The ordinance stems from an investigation of a West Hollywood pet store, Elite Animals, near Hancock and Santa Monica Boulevard, which uncovered evidence they allegedly sold puppy mill dogs.
Additionally, the retailer was also allegedly breaking federal law by importing animals for resale.
Elite Animals has since stopped its business practices, said Ms. Davis, but she and other concerned citizens wanted to make a statement about animal rights using West Hollywood, the city that pioneered a ban on cat-declawing.
Ms. Davis said, "West Hollywood's City Council has shown great leadership, wise judgment and compassion,” in taking that action and, “by considering an ordinance banning the sale of cats and dogs in our city's pet stores [may]… save countless shelter animals' lives locally and will send a strong message to abusive commercial breeders all over the nation."
The West Hollywood ordinace faces a second vote in two weeks before it becomes law. Then, on to cities such as Los
Angeles where dogs and cats actually are still sold in pet shops--at least for now.
Copyright City News Service
First Published: Feb 1, 2010 12:03 PM PDT
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