Home »
Education »
November 2010 - an historic month for animal protection
November 2010 - an historic month for animal protection
During November 2010, two stories unfolded which all dog lovers should know about.
The first is about an historic event that took place in the City of Richmond, BC. On November 8, 2010, the municipality became the first in Canada to pass a bylaw which will ban the sale of dogs and puppies in local pet stores.
According to a story in the Richmond News, "The move is primarily aimed at counteracting impulse buys and taking away one of the points of sale for unscrupulous puppy mills which house and breed dogs in appalling conditions." The proposed bylaw was discussed during a City of Richmond Council meeting on October 4, 2010. During the meeting, those in favour and those against the proposed bylaw had a chance to present their case. The minutes are both interesting and revealing - here is an excerpt:
"Kristin Bryson, Director, BC SPCA, spoke in support of banning the sale of dogs in storefronts. Ms. Bryson spoke about the bylaws in place to ban the sales of certain animals in pet stores in other jurisdictions including various cities in the State of California, Florida, Texas, and New Mexico. She also spoke about a ban that has been in place in Albuquerque, New Mexico for four years, and advised that the statistics have confirmed that animal adoptions have increased by 23% and animal euthanasia had decreased by 35% at the City shelters since the ban."
Here is the link to the complete minutes on the City's website. Christie Legally, a volunteer with the Richmond Animal Protection Society, also spoke in favour of the bylaw. Christie's blog has lots of commentary and interesting links related to this story.
The second story is about a law that passed on November 2 in the United States. Missouri voters approved Proposition B, a law that will require commercial dog breeders to provide basic care such as sufficient space, annual veterinary examinations, humane euthanasia methods, and limitations on the numbers of animals used for breeding. The state of Missouri is estimated to have approximately 3,000 puppy mills. For more information on Proposition B, visit http://yesonpropb.com.
Visit the Edmonton Humane Society's website to read Executive Director Stephanie McDonald's thoughts on the passing of Proposition B. She calls it "a very good day for animals, especially in the United States."
For a revealing look at Canadian pet stores, watch How not to buy a puppy, a show that aired March 6, 2009 on CBC-TV's Marketplace (Canada's investigate consumer show).
For information on choosing your pet responsibility, visit the Edmonton Humane Society and the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies websites.