Should pet stores only be allowed to buy from shelters and rescue facilities?

A proposed bill that would require pet stores to get their dogs, cats and rabbits from shelters or rescue facilities, rather than breeders, has passed the senate judiciary committee by a 10-2 vote.

Senate Bill 1154, known as the “Retail Sales Bill", is aimed at phasing out large-scale puppy mills, which have gained a reputation for poor animal treatment. It would also require breeders to advertise their license number online or in print.

Senator Guy Reschenthaler (R-Allegheny County) sponsored the bill and believes it’s a necessary step to continue fighting animal abuse in the state.

“If this bill becomes law, it will end the puppy mill to pet store supply chain in Pennsylvania, making it more difficult for inhumane puppy mills to sell their puppies and stay in business,” Reschenthaler said in an emailed statement. “Our goal is to provide more forever homes for the many pets in shelters and rescues across Pennsylvania”

But Senator John Eichelberger (R-Cumberland County) opposes the bill, saying it will complicate matters for Pennsylvania residents that want to have pets.

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“I don’t think the bill makes any sense. It can’t function that way in Pennsylvania. I think the goal of this bill is to shut down people’s ability to have pets,” Eichelberger said. “That’s what I think the U.S. Humane Society really wants to do. Whether they admit that or not, I don’t know.”

Eichelberger said the bill would ultimately shut down pet stores’ ability to sell dogs because shelters and rescues aren't set up to re-sell animals to businesses.

“You wouldn’t have the large, commercial breeders and you wouldn’t have pet stores. So, there would be small breeders that you’d have to find out about or you would just have to go to a shelter,” he said.  “That’s a fine thing to do but if you want a pup of a certain age or breed, you might be waiting a long time.”

Pa director of the U.S. Humane Society Kristen Tullo argues that the bill would not impact breeders that have animals’ best interest at heart.

“This will not affect responsible breeders. Responsible breeders are not selling their animals to pet stores,” Tullo said. “They want to know who they are selling to. They are not the ones selling to pet stores.”

“It is well-documented that the vast majority of pet store puppies come from puppy mills,” Reschenthaler said. “Responsible breeders don’t sell to pet stores because they demand to meet prospective buyers in person to screen them.”

Still, Eichelberger said that the bill is a reactionary approach to try to appease advocate groups, rather than making breeding facilities safer for dogs and other animals.

“I think the sponsor (Reschenthaler) of the bill is very concerned about the welfare of dogs, and I admire the sponsor for trying to take action. But the Humane Society puts out a lot of misinformation,” Eichelberger said. “This is what happens when you pass laws that aren’t scientifically based, and you don’t work with the people in that industry. Instead you work with radical advocacy groups that want to shut down these things.”

The bill is also geared toward a consumer health standpoint. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recently released a report that showed widespread antibiotic use by pet stores, transporters and commercial breeders. Some pet store puppies have been infected with an antibiotic resistant strain of the disease-causing Campylobacter infection, which was then transmitted to humans.

Tullo believes this is another reason that pet stores should not being allowed to buy animals from commercial breeders.

“Specifically, this infection has been linked to pet stores,” she said. “In my opinion, that underscores the fact that the selling of puppies presents a risk to humans and animals.”

But Eichelberger believes that phasing out breeders will open up more problems outside the boundaries of state legislators.

“We could regulate these facilities and make sure that everyone is inspected, and the dogs are treated well. Instead, we’re closing them, and we will have breeders from other states, that have very little regulations, bringing dogs into Pennsylvania.”

The timing of this bill will make it nearly impossible to get passed this session. However, it might have set the foundation for a similar bill to get introduced in January.

“It is essential that we keep finding new ways to weaken the puppy mill industry, which disregards the health and well-being of animals in order to maintain a low overhead and maximize profits,” Reschenthaler said. “These dogs are treated as breeding machines and their puppies as nothing more than agricultural products.”