The Puppy Mill Bill
As many of you may know, Sitting for a Cause has long been an advocate of the Adopt, Don’t Shop movement. It should come as no surprise that as Adopt, Don’t Shop supporters, we were happy to hear about the legislation passed in Boston two weeks ago and how it’s setting some amazing precedents.
According to the Boston Globe, back in February, a bill putting a stop to the unsanitary and inhumane treatment of animals bred for profit was proposed. Matt O’Malley proposed the bill to target puppy mills by making the pet store sale of puppies, kittens, and bunnies from commercial breeders a punishable offense in Boston. Similarly, the bill included an ordinance to unauthorize the sale of baby animals in public places (such as a litter of kittens sold from a cardboard box). Now, pet stores are only allowed to advertise animals from shelters in their windows, giving the shelter animals an even better chance of adoption since they are more accessible, face less competition, and are able to escape the stigma of being “damaged goods.” This also alleviates a massive burden on shelters trying to combat overcrowding while struggling with the added hardship of being understaffed.
The proposal didn’t stop there. In order to make the humane treatment of animals paramount (rather than prioritizing commercial and financial gain) any breeder within the Boston area now needs to be legally licensed. The retainment of this license will be dependent on the approval of ASPCA inspections of the animals and their conditions as well as approval of Boston Animal Welfare in order to stay in business legally. This seemed like a tall order only a few short months ago, but in order to regulate and ensure the safety of the animals in commercial breeding the Massachusetts residents knew something needed to give.
And it did, with unexpected enthusiasm. Amazingly the Boston Circuit Court announced that the bill passed unanimously. It is now being hailed as the “Puppy Mill Bill,” and is influencing legislation in many other states. Though similar bills have passed in other states like Ohio as long ago as 2014 requiring breeders to obtain licenses, none has gone as far to ensure the inspections, regulations, and humane conditions as the one passed in Boston. Alabama, may be another state that is close behind Massachusetts, since there is currently a petition circulating and asking for the same bill to be passed for their state as well. When it comes to the fight for humane treatment of animals everywhere there have been loses. However, the passing of The Puppy Mill Bill is hopefully the first big win of many for animal rights activists everywhere.
What do you think of this new legislation? Do you think it is a big win to help reduce euthanasia rates and encourage adopting as opposed to shopping? Leave a comment and let us know!