A judge in Phoenix, Arizona recently upheld a 2013 ordinance stating all dogs and cats sold from local pet stores must be rescue animals.
Lawmakers and animal lovers believe that the law will help to put an end to puppy mills. The ASPCA states that most dogs available in pet stores are from puppy mills.
Animals in puppy mills are bred for profit with little regard for the health of the dog. Many of the dogs live out their lives in cages, never knowing what it’s like to get a cuddle, a belly rub, or to step outside in the grass.
Phoenix, and the 59 other cities with similar laws, hope to curb the demand for puppy mills, thus forcing the mills to close down.
This particular Arizona ordinance was challenged in 2014 by the owners of Puppies ‘N Love pet store.
Frank and Vicki Mineo say that they are not advocates of mills. Instead, they obtain their dogs only from reputable breeders. They believe this move by their local officials will force them to close their business.
They are currently considering whether or not to appeal this recent ruling.
Despite the Mineo’s concerns, the majority of dog lovers are overjoyed by this news. Shelters and rescues are overflowing with pups who need loving forever homes. The more cities that mandate that pet stores only sell rescues animals, the fewer pups that will spend years in shelters, waiting for someone to love them.
Courtesy Of: BarkPost
The Feels 
Good on them. There are thousands of dogs that are homeless due to human beings buying from pet stores and puppy mills because they want a puppy not thinking about the feeding and looking after it.
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Exactly!
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Huh…a law that makes sense. Who the hell do they think they are down there in ‘Zona!? (Kidding of course). It can be tough even for responsible breeders. One I know often has a hard time finding loving home for all her pups. Luckily she has the resources and the space to add another to her heard of Labradors. Getting trampled by a stampede of Labradors is one of the cutest things ever, in case you have a bucket list for such things.
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Haha, let’s hope they keep the trend going
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What a brilliant law, I love this!!!
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It really is clever isnt it!
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Where do you think the animals come from that are in rescue and shelters? Puppy mills. Puppy mills will not stop producing and selling directly – what they can’t sell will still get dumped in shelters and on rescues. There are MANY rescues out there now that are no more than puppy brokers and millers themselves. This was not the answer to anything, unfortunately.
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