Pet care advocates: California governor’s signature puts businesses, pet lovers at risk
Washington, D.C. (PRWEB) October 16, 2017 -- Two of America’s largest pet care associations: Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC) and American Kennel Club (AKC®), along with a California breeder association, and California pet store owner said California Governor Jerry Brown put small businesses at risk this week with his signature of Assembly Bill 485. AB 485 implements a statewide ban on the sale of non-rescue, non-shelter dogs, cats, and rabbits from pet stores.
“Assembly Bill 485 reverses California’s tradition of leading the nation in pet and consumer protections,” said PIJAC President Mike Bober, who in a video release in September urged Brown to veto AB 485. “It also strips consumers of many pet store protections, risks hundreds of jobs, and reduces pet choice.”
AKC® Vice President of Government Relations, Sheila Goffe, said that AB 485 “fails to distinguish between professional breeders and pet profiteers.”
“AB 485 blocks all of California’s pet lovers from having access to professional, licensed, and ethical commercial breeders,” said Goffe. “This is not good for Californians or their companion animals.”
Bober said the amendment, which exempted pet stores from warranty laws, consumer information requirements, fines, and other important regulations, left consumers without proper protections. “Governor Brown regretfully did not recognize the harm AB 485 will do to his constituents, including the many stores, breeders, and business associations across the Golden State that contacted him,” said Bober and Goffe.
Stormy Hope, Secretary of the Southern California Kennel Owners and Breeders Association, joined in the concern for California’s pets and their purchasers. “The enactment of AB 485 represents a troublesome new reality for California’s pet owners. Their choices will be limited to pets from unknown sources, with unsubstantiated health backgrounds, and without consumer protections.”
Animal Kingdom founder Adam Tipton, whose three stores employ 26 people, has been a California small business owner since 1995. He said Brown’s signature endangers “not just my employees, but also my customers.”
“Animal Kingdom has had thousands of customers from all over California, other states, and even other countries come to us because of our professionalism and animal care practices,” said Tipton. “For 22 years, our focus has been to choose happy & healthy pets for our customers. AB 485’s ban will leave us without a ready supply of pets.”
According to Tipton, “The public has been put at great risk by the false information that was used to pass this law. Our relationships with breeders means we know exactly what pets are going to our customers; by targeting California’s pet stores, this law will allow unregulated breeders to flourish as customers find other sources for their pets. AB 485 risks customers’ ability to get the best pet for their circumstances.”
About the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council
Since 1970, the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC) has protected pets, pet owners and the pet industry – promoting responsible pet ownership and animal welfare, fostering environmental stewardship, and ensuring the availability of pets. PIJAC members include retailers, companion animal suppliers, manufacturers, wholesale distributors, manufacturers’ representatives, pet hobbyists, and other trade organizations. http://www.pijac.org
About the American Kennel Club
Founded in 1884, the American Kennel Club is a not-for-profit organization, which maintains the largest registry of purebred dogs in the world and oversees the sport of purebred dogs in the United States. The AKC is dedicated to upholding the integrity of its registry, promoting the sport of purebred dogs and breeding for type and function. Along with its more than 5,000 licensed and member clubs and its affiliated organizations, the AKC advocates for the purebred dog as a family companion, advances canine health and well-being, works to protect the rights of all dog owners and promotes responsible dog ownership. More than 22,000 competitions for AKC-registered purebred dogs are held under AKC rules and regulations each year including conformation, agility, obedience, rally, tracking, herding, lure coursing, coonhound events, hunt tests, field and earthdog tests. Affiliate AKC organizations include the AKC Humane Fund, AKC Canine Health Foundation, AKC Reunite and the AKC Museum of the Dog. For more information, visit http://www.akc.org.
AKC, American Kennel Club, the American Kennel Club seal and design, and all associated marks and logos are trademarks, registered trademarks and service marks of The American Kennel Club, Inc.
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Jamie Baxter, +1 (775) 322-4022, [email protected]
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