NY legislature passed bill designed to help put puppy mills...

[TreasonousBastard]

out of business by outlawing pet shops from selling dogs, cats, or rabbits.

It was on Hochul's desk this weekend, and she may have signed it by now. Informal Newsday poll has 82% in favor.

Pet stores, of course, are against it, but shelters are overflowing, and even PetSmart still has its "adopt me" aisles.

There's a puppy store I pass several times a week that has the occasional demonstration.

[Tetrachloride]

1. I am curious which states will follow.

[TreasonousBastard]

5. California has had one for years, but ai;ve heard of only two other states with such law. Apparently

four or five other states are thinking about it now. But it is long overdue.

[Woodswalker]

2. About time

My two rescue mutts are the most loving healthy little pecker heads ever.

[calimary]

3. Three kitties here. All rescues. Lotsa happy!

[TreasonousBastard]

6. All my four cats were rescues.

[Rhiannon12866]

4. My dog Jack was a "pet store rescue"

He had a health problem so "couldn't be sold" and was being fostered by a vet tech who worked for my vet and knew my other dog, same breed, so contacted me. His health problem was a hernia, which didn't slow him down and was repaired when he was neutered. Previously, I've adopted senior dogs from rescue, but I had Jack for 16 years and will always be grateful. My eldest dog was 10 or 11 when I got him and I had him for 8 wonderful years, "puppy mill" rescue. No one needs pet stores. There are some perfect dogs for everyone in rescue, my guys have found me and I've never been disappointed.

[pnwmom]

8. There are almost no actual puppies in the rescues here. Even "puppies" who are 1-2 years old

are rare -- especially if you don't want a pit bull or a chihuahua.

We only get puppies from careful breeders.

[Rhiannon12866]

9. Well, my Jack was 5 months old when he found me.

Since I'd adopted senior dogs (my other pup was 9 when I got him, his owner had died) I was reminded that puppies are hard! The only other puppy I'd had was the dog I grew up with and I had much more energy then! Jack and I did "puppy class" twice! But I had him for 16 years - and I'd do it again if I could.

[pnwmom]

14. Puppies are work, as we're reminded again with my son's new puppy

whom we frequently "dogsit." But they're so much fun, the work is worth it, to us.

[pnwmom]

7. I wonder why the shelters are overflowing. They aren't in Seattle or King County.

They import them here to get the numbers up.

[Elessar Zappa]

11. I live in a small town in New Mexico

and the shelter is seriously overcrowded. It probably depends on where you are.

[pnwmom]

15. We have a successful spay/neuter program in King County. I'm surprised they don't in NY.

I'm not surprised when I hear that about a red state, however. In my sister's city, which is a small fraction the size of our county, they have ten times as many dogs in shelters.

[mopinko]

10. cook county has a ban, and

it put a pet shop out of business that had been around for decades. they always had puppies, usually in the windows.
they werent good ppl. my vet treated their animals, and they brought him a pup w parvo. his wife/office manager fell in love w the pup, and offered to adopt it. they made him pay almost full price for that sick pup.

[leftyladyfrommo]

12. You have to be careful with breeders, too.

There is one I know of that sells purebred Bostons. The puppies sell fir a lot of money. And people pay a lot because they assume these are really healthy well bred puppies.

But the truth is that the breeder goes to dog auctions and buys dogs in bulk. Especially pregnant females. She sells the puppies and then hands the adults over to the Boston rescue. The ones tyrned over to rescue are the lucky ones. They find really good homes for her discards.

If they close down the pet stores then breeders start selling at swap and shops or online.

Too much money involved. They aren't going to stop.

My good friend helps with Boston Rescue here in KCMO. The main operation is in Omaha. That's how I know about this. I go with her sometimes to pick up dogs.
Otherwise it wouldn't have occurred to me that a supposedly reputable breeder was scamming people like this.

[TreasonousBastard]

16. Somewhere along the line my mother became disenchanted...

with shelters and went to breeders, who were all highly recommended, usually by friends.

Fist dog she got was a Lhasa Apso who put my stepfather in the hospital twice. Usually involved the dog sleeping under the bed and feet coming down on the way to the bathroom.

That one loved me and went a little nuts every time I visited. But the stepfather was not so lucky.

Next one was a poodle who had a brain connection problem many vets and trainers couldn't help with. She would be having fun playing and suddenly get a wierd look in her eye and attack whomever was closest. It was rare, but devastating.

The last one was another poodle who just didn't like me. She didn't attack, but was terrified of me for some reason. And I was the only one she wouldn't come near. Dogs usually glom on to me, except her. Very strange.

Anyway, these three were from respectable local breeders, which made me wonder about breeds and breeders. Personally, I prefer shelter dogs as lovable low-strung cousins of their inbred breeds.

[leftyladyfrommo]

17. My purebred border collie has epilepsy.

Breeders often breed for AKC guidelines and looks are the important thing. Looks come before health and temperament.

[Danmel]

13. As best I can tell, it hasn't been delivered to the Governor

I work for the State Assembly. This bill generated an enormous number of calls and emails.
It passed the Assembly 134-16.

I can post when it is signed (or not, but it seems unlikely she will not sign)