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AB 485 was amended this week to add initial substance to the bill. The bill as it now stands would make it illegal for a pet store to sell a dog, cat, or rabbit unless the animal was obtained from a public animal control agency or shelter, society for the prevention of cruelty to animals shelter, humane society shelter, or certain 501(c)(3) organizations.
Here's a link to the bill:
http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180AB485
We believe that the bill should be opposed. Here's the text from the AKC's Position Statement on Pet Choice:
"The American Kennel Club emphatically supports freedom of choice in selecting a pet. AKC actively promotes efforts to ensure that people are educated, understand the demands of responsible ownership and have access to a pet that is right for them. AKC strongly opposes any measure that restricts choice by compelling people and/or retailers to obtain pets solely from shelter or rescue distributors."
In other words, pet owners should be free to choose where they obtain their pets.
Current law protects pet owners and animal health through long-standing regulation of breeders and California's "puppy lemon law." The assertion that restricting sales to shelter and rescue animals would promote welfare is false. Rescue and shelter pets are often brought in from other states and even other countries, with unknown origins, no welfare checks on conditions, and sometimes the animals are even sick with infectious diseases like parvo, distemper and rabies. Shelter and "rescued" pets can be expensive for their new owners because they are exempt from consumer protections such as health warantees under the Lockyer-Polanco act.
Further, "one size fits all" laws as embodied in AB 485 often don't work well across a state as diverse as ours. Jurisdictions in the state already can enact ordinances banning such sales. Of the 539 separate counties and cities in the state, only 33 or about 6% of those jurisdictions have chosen to regulate the retail sale of dogs in pet stores.
AB 485 is scheduled to heard in the Assembly Committee on Business and Professions on April 4.
In the meantime, contact the members of the Committee and the Committee's staff and let them know you oppose AB 485.
If you need additional information, please feel free to contact DOGS at info@ca-dogs.org.
Committee Members
Rudy Salas, Jr., Chairman
State Capitol, Room 4016, P. O. Box 94289, Sacramento, CA 94249-0032 Assemblymember.Salas@assembly.ca.gov
Tel. (916) 319-2032 Fax. (916) 319-2132
William P. Brough, Vice Chairman
State Capitol, Room 3141, P. O. Box 94289, Sacramento, CA 94249-0073 Assemblymember.Brough@assembly.ca.gov
Tel. (916) 319-2073 Fax. (916) 319-2173
Joaquin Arambula, MD
State Capitol, Room 5155, P. O. Box 94289, Sacramento, CA 94249-0031 Assemblymember.Arambula@assembly.ca.gov
Tel. (916) 319-2031 Fax. (916) 319-2131
Catharine B. Baker
State Capitol, Room 2130, P. O. Box 94289, Sacramento, CA 94249-0016 Assemblymember.Baker@assembly.ca.gov
Tel. (916) 319-2016 Fax. (916) 319-2116
Richard Bloom
State Capitol, Room 2003, P. O. Box 94289, Sacramento, CA 94249-0050 Assemblymember.Bloom@assembly.ca.gov
Tel. (916) 319-2050 Fax. (916) 319-2150
David Chiu
State Capitol, Room 4112, P. O. Box 94289, Sacramento, CA 94249-0017 Assemblymember.Chiu@assembly.ca.gov
Tel. (916) 319-2017 Fax. (916) 319-2117
Jordan Cunningham
State Capitol, Room 4102, P. O. Box 94289, Sacramento, CA 94249-0035 Assemblymember.Cunningham@assembly.ca.gov
Tel. (916) 319-2035 Fax. (916) 319-2135
Brian Dahle
State Capitol, Room 4098, P. O. Box 94289, Sacramento, CA 94249-0001 Assemblymember.Dahle@assembly.ca.gov
Tel. (916) 319-2001 Fax. (916) 319-2101
Susan Talamantes Eggman
State Capitol, Room 4117, P. O. Box 94289, Sacramento, CA 94249-0013 Assemblymember.Eggman@assembly.ca.gov
Tel. (916) 319-2013 Fax. (916) 319-2113
Mike A. Gipson
State Capitol, Room 3173, P. O. Box 94289, Sacramento, CA 94249-0064 Assemblymember.Gipson@assembly.ca.gov
Tel. (916) 319-2064 Fax. (916) 319-2164
Timothy S. Grayson
State Capitol, Room 4164, P. O. Box 94289, Sacramento, CA 94249-0014
Assemblymember.Grayson@assembly.ca.gov
Tel. (916) 319-2014 Fax. (916) 319-2114
Chris R. Holden
State Capitol, Room 5136, P. O. Box 94289, Sacramento, CA 94249-0041 Assemblymember.Holden@assembly.ca.gov
Tel. (916) 319-2041 Fax. (916) 319-2141
Evan Low
State Capitol, Room 4126, P. O. Box 94289, Sacramento, CA 94249-0028 Assemblymember.Low@assembly.ca.gov
Tel. (916) 319-2028 Fax. (916) 319-2128
Kevin Mullin
State Capitol, Room 3160, P. O. Box 94289, Sacramento, CA 94249-0022 Assemblymember.Mullin@assembly.ca.gov
Tel. (916) 319-2022 Fax. (916) 319-2122
Marc Steinorth
State Capitol, Room 5128, P. O. Box 94289, Sacramento, CA 94249-0040 Assemblymember.Steinorth@assembly.ca.gov
Tel. (916) 319-2040 Fax. (916) 319-2140
Philip Y. Ting
State Capitol, Room 6026, P. O. Box 94289, Sacramento, CA 94249-0019 Assemblymember.Ting@assembly.ca.gov
Tel. (916) 319-2019 Fax. (916) 319-2119
Committee Consultants
Elissa Silva, Consultant
Assembly Committee on Business and Professions
Legislative Office Building, 1020 N. "N" Street, Room 383, Sacramento, CA 95381 Elissa.Silva@asm.ca.gov
Tel. (916) 319-3301 Fax. (916) 319-3306
Gabby Nepomuceno
Assembly Committee on Business and Professions
Legislative Office Building, 1020 N. "N" Street, Room 383, Sacramento, CA 95381 Elissa.Silva@asm.ca.gov
Tel. (916) 319-3301 Fax. (916) 319-3306
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