Posted: Aug. 23, 2012, 4:55 p.m. EDT
The Los Angeles City Council’s Personnel and Animal Welfare Committee decided on Aug. 21, 2012, to put a proposed ordinance that would require every dog, cat or rabbit sold in the city to be obtained from a city-approved shelter or humane society up for a full council vote.
If passed by the full council, with the vote coming as early as next month, the law would prohibit the sale of commercially bred cats, dogs and rabbits within the city of Los Angeles. A violation would count as a misdemeanor and be subject to fines of $250 to $1,000.
Should the ordinance become law, 11 pet stores selling primarily dogs and cats within Los Angeles city limits would be affected, according to Brenda Barnette, general manager the city’s animal services department. The stores would be required to show proof that animals were obtained from city-approved shelters or animal protection societies, or risk losing their operating permits.
Critics of the ban said that pet buyers seeking pure-bred pets would simply start buying them online and from local breeders.
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