It's unanimous: Glendale City Council to ban pet store sales of dogs and cats
Last night, the Glendale City Council voted unanimously in favor of an ordinance to ban the retail sale of commercially bred dogs and cats in pet stores within the city limits.
The ordinance, which was revised to exclude a section that would have exempted onsite breeding at pet stores, will be presented to the Council for an official vote on Aug. 23. If the ordinance is adopted, it will go into effect 30 days later.
Among those in attendance and in support of the ordinance, were Christy Schilling, a Glendale resident instrumental in helping to convert Glendale’s Pet Rush from selling puppy mill dogs to only offering rescued dogs for adoption and Rene Karapedian, Pet Rush owner. Karapedian attested to the success of his humane business model and spoke of the puppies he used to sell that later came back for grooming after giving birth to litters that went unaccounted for. “Many of those dogs were picked up by Pasadena Humane and the City of Glendale had to pay for them,” he told the Council.
“Three to four million animals are euthanized in the United States each year; the population of Los Angeles is 3.8 million — this doesn’t have to happen,” noted Councilmember Dave Weaver, who first introduced the measure. “For every animal sold in a pet store, another animal in a shelter will be put to death,” he said.
Also in attendance were three people opposed to the ordinance, including Marcie Whichard of Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC), a pet industry trade association. Whichard stated she was opposed to the measure because it would punish responsible pet store owners and create a black market for puppy mill dogs.
“That’s absurd,” said Lindsay Reeves, a Glendale resident and member of the local group Citizens Against Puppy Mills, which conducts pet store demonstrations and public outreach. “There will always be black markets with bans. Does that mean we shouldn’t have laws against drugs? Because there will always be drug dealers."
Reeves brought along her dog Eliza, a Yorkshire Terrier that spent 8 years in a Missouri puppy mill as a breeding dog, until she rescued her two years ago.
"Eliza was one of the 'lucky' ones that was rescued — although if you had seen the condition she was in at the time, I don't think lucky is a word you'd use," Reeves said. "Having spent her whole life suffering in a cage in extreme weather conditions, breeding litter after litter with no vet care, no exercise, no human touch — it's a wonder she survived this long."
Reeves went on to say that Eliza, whose puppies typically sold for $2,000 in a pet store, was left with a permanent hernia from being over bred, teeth so rotten they had to be removed, matted fur full of fleas and ticks and raw, bloody feet from standing on wire.
"She was completely unsocialized and shied away from human contact. She literally had to learn how to be a dog, and is still learning every day," Reeves said with emotion.
Others stepped up to address the Council and dispute the notion that responsible pet store owners, do in fact exist, including Elizabeth Oreck, Best Friends Animal Society and Ed Buck, Social Compassion in Legislation. Both explained that in addition to contributing to pet overpopulation, the very nature of commercial breeding (large-scale “puppy mills” and "backyard breeders") doesn’t allow for humane and responsible breeding.
Another woman opposed to the ordinance said pet stores should be allowed to sell dogs if they are neutered, and that she’s in favor of rescue, but pointed out that 90 percent of the dogs at shelters are pit bulls. Councilmember Weaver contradicted this by stating he searched Petfinder.com and found five pages of Collies available for adoption in his area.
Councilmember Rafi Manoukian later pointed out that pit bulls get a bad rap and also have a right to live and not be mistreated by their owners.
Glendale is the third city in Los Angeles County to enforce this type of ordinance, joining West Hollywood and Hermosa Beach, as well as larger cities including Albuquerque, NM and Austin, Texas.
