Guest column: End the sale of puppy mill puppies in pet stores
There is a movement across our state — an awakening of sorts — to end the sale of puppy mill puppies in pet stores. It’s the result of the undeniable, well-documented case against cruel puppy mills, the questionable in-store treatment of weeks-old puppies, the heartbreak that too many Florida families have suffered after their pet store puppies ended up being sick — some dying shortly after purchase — and so much more.
So far, 83 cities and counties across the state have enacted ordinances prohibiting the sale of commercially raised dogs and cats in pet stores, including Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach, Atlantic Beach and Nassau County. Jacksonville hasn’t yet done so, but council members may now wish they had taken action: A fast-moving bill in the state legislature may threaten their right to protect dogs and consumers.
If passed, the measure in question — SB 620/HB 569, the “Local Business Protection Act” — would tie the hands of Jacksonville city council members and other local elected officials across the state when it comes to regulating pet stores and many other businesses.
If SB 620/HB 569 becomes law, it will allow businesses to be compensated for losses that owners claim are the result of a local ordinance. So, if a city like Jacksonville passed an ordinance to stop, or even just to regulate, the sale of puppy mill puppies in pet stores, the city might have to write a check to those pet stores to cover the profits they could have made.
This is music to the ears of puppy-selling pet store owners throughout the state. That’s why Petland — the embattled pet store chain with a location in Jacksonville — and other puppy-selling stores swiftly redirected their attention, campaign contributions, and lobbying teams in Tallahassee toward passing SB 620/HB 569 when their tailor-made pet store preemption bills stalled. They knew what they were doing because SB 620 has already passed the state Senate and its companion, HB 569, is moving quickly through the House of Representatives.
It is fair to assume that the sponsors of this legislation were not trying to protect the puppy mill-to pet-store pipeline. But their measure would have that effect and thus undermine the evident desire of Floridians to confront the animal welfare and consumer protection deficiencies that plague this industry. Even if we could put aside the animal welfare and consumer protection implications, why should state lawmakers consider action that would shore up these stores’ dying business models?
Most pet stores across the state, and indeed across the nation, make their money by selling pet food and products and offering in-demand services like grooming and daycare. Many host adoption events with shelters and rescues that save homeless animals’ lives and bring in more customers. There is little the state can do to protect pet stores from the increased awareness that has led consumers to turn away from buying dogs from places that cause harm to dogs.
Each year, the Florida Legislature becomes an arena for a lively debate about restricting the authority of local governments, but up until this session there seemed to be a consensus that such debate shouldn’t extinguish the right of cities and counties to regulate animal welfare, especially when it impacts dogs and cats. Yet, this year, pets and the families who love them are caught in the crossfire. It is not yet too late for state lawmakers to get this right by exempting ordinances that regulate businesses responsible for animal suffering and harm. These businesses simply do not deserve protection.
Kate MacFall is the Florida state director for the Humane Society of the United States.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Guest column: End the sale of puppy mill puppies in pet stores
