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Assembly Bill 485

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Dog receiving affection | Photo Courtesy Bark Post

Currently, in the U.S. 7.6 million dogs and cats reside in shelters and about 1.5 million of those dogs and cats are euthanized each year. To combat these passings and give home to dogs and cats in need, Governor Brown from the state of California has signed the Assembly Bill 485.

This bill starting January 1, 2019, will prohibit pet store operators from selling dogs, cats, and rabbits from being sold unless they have been obtained from a public animal control agency and shelters or rescues.

Many Californians have shown great acceptance to this new change because it will allow for the “adopt, don’t shop” campaign to further its mission of bringing homes to pets that reside in overpopulated shelters.

However, puppy mills, that are specific farms where dogs are bred solely for money earnings with no regard for the dogs’ welfare, have shown great concern for their business practices. These breeders fear that they will no longer have a successful business since pet retail stores were a main source of income as they purchased animals from them.

California Assembly Bill 485, the Pet Rescue and Adoption Act, passed the State Assembly yesterday with a vote of 55-11 | Photo Courtesy World Animal News

However, the California Animal Protection Agency (CAPS) discovered that these businesses have been caught in violation of a California Law which requires the sellers to accurately disclose the source the pets are provided from.

Overall, this bill will encourage prospective pet owners to save animal lives and reduce the excessive amounts of pets in shelters. Also, Assembly Bill 485 can promote other states in implementing this law to further bring change toward ethical pet practices.

Written by Jenna Nicolas

Jenna is a senior at MC, and she is the Co-Editor in Chief as well as the Photo Editor for the MC Sun!

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