San Francisco Pet Sales Ban Not An Answer to Abandonment and Overpopulation

Our adopted dogs Blaster, a Bluetick Coonhound, and Ally, a Basset/Brittany mix.

I love animals as much as I love paper.

I always have, especially dogs. I was fortunate enough to marry a man who loves dogs as much as I do, so it is really no surprise that we adopted two very wonderful dogs to join us as family members in our home. We give them shelter, meals, structure, activity and affection. They give us unwavering loyalty, companionship and love. They do a great job of holding down the couch for us and keep our yard 100% critter-free. It’s a match made in heaven and by far one of the best decisions we have ever made.

I worked in pet retail.

For three years I worked for an independently-owned pet store that sold fish, hamsters, rats, guinea pigs, rabbits, birds and reptiles. There was also the occasional exotic animal like a tarantula or scorpion, which I still abhor to this day.

You would not find dogs or cats for sale in this store because it’s the right thing to do.

The store I worked for did a few things to help combat the pet overpopulation problem by 1., offering discounts on the initial supplies for animals that were adopted through area rescues and 2., hosting adoption days in the store. There were already many animals that needed homes – and still do – it just seems wreckless to add more creatures to the abandonment candidate pool.

You’d think I’d openly applaud the recent move in San Francisco that outlaws the sale of all pets except fish.

That is one very bad assumption to make in this case. I recently discussed San Francisco’s ban with a good friend of mine who has worked in animal rescue for many years. She has seen the worst in animal cruelty and has witnessed miracle turnarounds in some of the most hopeless cases. She has also seen firsthand the effects of pet sales on area adoptions and the puppy mill trade. Though neither of us would consider spending money at a store that sold dogs and cats, we did agree upon a couple of the negative consequences of such a ban.

Criminalizing the sale of any item creates a black market.

What happens when you tell someone that they can’t have something they really want? They find a way to get it anyway. The illicit factor makes that vice so much more appealing. If criminalizing an act really were an effective means or curbing a behavior, we wouldn’t have problems like underage drinking, drug use, or prostitution. Now try telling someone they can’t have a dog. Yes, a number of people will go to the local shelter to adopt, but the same number of people will start taking their business to puppy mills and backyard breeders.

When you turn to the black market for a product, you lose the ability to regulate that market.

If the sale of livestock is not allowed, then there is no need to devote resources or personnel to oversee the humane treatment of those animals. Animals produced in mills and by backyard breeders that suffer from neglect and abuse may go unreported for a very long period of time. Such operations often have little regard for an animal’s health and welfare and since they operate under the cloak of invisibility, who holds them accountable for maintaining a standard of care? No one.

In a regulated market, the pet store operator ultimately has to answer for the level of care given to his or her livestock for sale.

Pet stores that sell livestock have to maintain a standard of care for their livestock. In Kansas, the state health inspector oversees that standard. Failure to maintain that standard can ultimately lead to your store being shut down by the state. The parties that regulate these standards will vary among municipalities and states. Every furry and feathered creature in a regulated market has someone in a position of power overseeing its care. If that care is not maintained, and the store is reported, then the store is put on notice or faces the loss of its license to sell livestock or even operate.

Education goes a long way.

Pet store hosted adoption days can serve the San Francisco community in many ways. One way is educating the public on the benefits of spaying and neutering a pet that go beyond behavioral welfare. Do it early enough, and you can also prevent a number of devastating health conditions later in that pet’s life. Adoption days can also provide an opportunity for citizens to learn about proper training techniques from animal professionals as well as learn about what constitutes inhumane treatment of animals. If a prospective pet is coming from a foster home, prospective pet owners can also get to know more about that pet in a home situation – it’s habits, quirks, and routine – directly from a person who has gotten to know that animal. And let’s not forget that an animal that has been fostered has received an opportunity to be socialized.

I’d like to hear what you think about a ban such as the one in San Franscisco, especially if you’re a pet store operator affected by the ban. Leave your ideas in the comments box below and let us know what other ways you think San Francisco can handle pet overpopulation and abandoned pets, and how San Francisco area pet stores can sustain their businesses while operating under the ban.