Calgary to mull retail pet sale ban

[First Lady]

City hall is mulling a bylaw prohibiting the retail sale of dogs and cats at pet stores, an initiative spearheaded by local group Actions Speak Louder Calgary (ASLC).

While most retail chains in Calgary have voluntarily stopped this practice already, group co-founder Jennifer Kaiser said the bylaw is needed to ensure compliance and prevent stores from reverting back to prior practices.

“We would like to cut off the option for them of going back (to retail sales),” she explained.

The ASLC mailed more than 400 letters to city aldermen and Mayor’s Office after this year’s pet expo about their bylaw petition.

Full article.

ASLC website

[DownhillGoat]

Good. Hopefully it passes.

[REDVAN]

Haven't most "pet" stores given up their dog and cat sales?

Seems like a make work project, but sure, go for it. Sure they could start selling animals again, but I doubt they would due to public backlash.

[Coys1882]

Don't they mask themselves as rescue sales now? Everytime I've been in Petland at 130th - none of the pets are from breeders they claim - just rescued from somewhere - for more money and a higher risk of disease or sickness than a real rescue society.

[browna]

Originally Posted by Coys1882

Don't they mask themselves as rescue sales now? Everytime I've been in Petland at 130th - none of the pets are from breeders they claim - just rescued from somewhere - for more money and a higher risk of disease or sickness than a real rescue society.

Both of our dogs were from Petland as rescue dogs from 2004 and 2007..each part of a pack of puppies rescued from Reserves near Pincher Creek. Full set of shots, and the full history from the vet down in Pincher Creek from the first 8-10 weeks of their lives.

Not "masking" anything. Sure they were puppies from the same litter, and that's thanks to vets in the area, and vet school students and volunteers in the area who take time to look out and keep track of pregnant dogs and are on the lookout for strays, so that the next puppies that are born, are properly spayed or neutered and don't give birth to another 10 dogs.

They were also more than half the cost of the puppies that were from breeders sold in the pens next to the ones we got back then not that it was any of factor in our decision. That, and for every pack of puppies that are rescued, there were 5 dogs at Petland that were 3-5 years old and had been beaten or had medical issues and rescued from horrible situations for sale.

Petland, and Pets for Life program, were and are legit in helping rescue dogs find homes, I have no doubt. Petland charge nominal fees for the shots and I assume the labor done in rounding up and the care of these puppies at the intake source...for the City pound, that is funded by taxpayers, and the other agencies that work on donation money, most have the dogs kept in foster homes until full adoption.