‘A scare tactic’ House bill aims to ban cities from prohibiting pet shops

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOV) – A invoice making its way by way of the Missouri Residence of Representatives would be certain that cities would have no suitable to prohibit pet stores in their local community.

The invoice from Ben Baker (R, Neosho), bans cities from prohibiting pet outlets.

Whilst there is no evidence any town is now trying to implement this policy, Baker told a House Committee this thirty day period he wishes to be forward of the curve, as animal rights teams want to see these sorts of bans.

“Their intention is to regulate them out of enterprise and that is regrettable and which is why unfortunately we have to tackle this.”

Animal legal rights activist Bonnie Hoime informed Information 4 she would like to inevitably see pet retailers only promote animals that are rescued, not bred to be sold.

But she thinks this monthly bill is much more about intimidation.

“It’s surely a scare tactic,” mentioned Hoime, who is president of St. Louis Animal Rights Group.

The most evident pet store that presently sells canines and cats is Petland, with places in Fenton and Lake St. Louis, as nicely as other spots in Missouri.

Representatives for the enterprise explained to lawmakers in Jefferson City they consider these polices are coming from metropolitan areas throughout the state.

Petland reps pointed to Illinois, which banned the retail sale of dogs and cats in 2021, as an example.

“Ordinances are pushed on purpose to cancel our enterprise and to stop our main organization of promoting healthier pets,” mentioned Samantha Boyle, who owns Petland in Joplin.

Boyle also mentioned their merchants fill a hole as individuals want purebred animals and will buy them just one way or an additional.

“More persons will buy from unregulated breeders who offer from flea marketplaces and on-line internet websites this sort of as Craigslist,” stated Boyle, who also owns Petland retailers in Arkansas.

They also say they only acquire from licensed breeders, particularly breeders with very little to no violations.

But the Humane Society of the United States suggests on their internet site Missouri Petlands acquired puppies from at least three important brokers that had citations from the United States Department of Agriculture.

In the past 6 many years, News 4 has claimed on at least three illustrations of pet dogs dying just times right after currently being ordered by their proprietors.

“Petland is an outlet for animal cruelty and we want to struggle that increasing,” explained Boime.

These promises had been introduced up in the listening to. Vice President of Legislative & Public Affairs for Petland Elizabeth Kunzelman denied the enterprise purchases from pup mills and said the company is always underneath assault by large national animal legal rights teams.

“The truth is they never want pet outlets to exist and it has absolutely nothing to do with where we’re getting our animals,” mentioned Kunzelman.

The monthly bill recently manufactured it out of committee and it could make it to the whole Missouri Property once lawmakers appear back again from spring split.