Essay
The bill I chose was HF1276, Adopt, Don't Shop (Sale of dogs and cats by retail pet shops banned). The bill relates to pets, specifically dogs and cats. It prohibits retail pet stores from selling dogs and cats. The bill states multiple definitions including “"Pet shop" means any pet dealer that operates a physical retail store from which animals are sold or offered for sale to the general public, whether through an appointment or otherwise.” I will be talking about the puppy mills, conditions these animals are in pet shops & nonprofits that help.
Roughly 90% of pet shops get their puppies from puppy mills. Puppy mills are an establishment that purposely breeds puppies for sale. Most often done in an inhumane manner. From the article ‘What Are Puppy Mills and Why Are They Bad?’ by BestFriend.org they state “Puppies for sale from mills have a high chance of suffering from physical health issues due to malnourishment and poor health care.” This is one of the big issues of a puppy mill. Because they grow up in an inhumane environment the puppies are more susceptible to the heath issues. These dogs are being bred multiple times a year so the owner can make money. In an article from Paws.org they say “Adult animals are continuously bred until they can no longer produce, then destroyed or discarded.” They are being used as objects rather than animals. Many puppies and kittens are being taken away from their mothers at an early age, this can lead to many behavioral issues and the loss of nutrients they should be getting from their mothers.
The pet shop environment is bad for puppies and kittens. In the article “Dangers of Buying Pets from a Pet Store” by EmbraceInsurance.com they talk about the conditions of the cages these pets are kept in. They are kept in a kennel and have their water and food taken away when they have visitors, restricting their access to basic needs. In the same article they inform us that many pet stores sell sick puppies. “Because puppy mills focus on quantity over quality, they continue to breed dogs that have severe genetic disorders.” As well they may bring diseases that can hurt your pets at home, like a common one; Kennel Cough.
An amazing alternative to the pet shops are nonprofits and humane societies. In the bill it states “A pet shop may provide space to nonprofit humane societies, animal control agencies, or animal rescue and rehoming organizations that qualify as nonprofit organizations under section 501” In Minnesota we have the Animal Humane Society. They are an animal welfare organization. They help hundreds of animals be adopted in a humane way that allows the owner to get to know the animal and make sure they are a good fit. They do put down some animals based on if the animal has severe or untreatable illnesses or untreatable behavior issues. But they do not have a certain time in which they do this. It's only a last resort. In 2020 they state that 93% of animals in their care were adopted into homes, reunited with owners, or placed with other animal welfare organizations.
There are thousands of puppy mills in the United States that go unnoticed. By starting at the buying and selling of these puppies and kittens we can start to slow the problem. With this bill the hope is that pet shops will stop selling the puppies and kittens and the environment in which these animals are kept in is stopped. As well as more people being informed of the gross processes that happen behind the scenes. Thus the puppies and kittens that need to be adopted will be. This is why you should vote yes on Bill HF1276, Adopt, Don't Shop.
Bibliography: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=HF1276&version=0&session=LS93
https://www.animalhumanesociety.org/about/about-animal-humane-society
https://www.embracepetinsurance.com/waterbowl/article/dangers-of-buying-pets-from-a-pet-store
https://pethavenmn.org/about-us/
https://www.paws.org/resources/puppy-mills/
