Protests Against Selling Pets at Storefronts

Dogs have been sold at pet shops for years, and although many people know the horrors that they hide, there are still many dogs being subjected to this practice (more information here). When you see fluffy puppies on display right in front of the stores, many people may not realize how inhumane that treatment is_or that these dogs are sourced from much worse conditions at puppy mills. Instead, the average person anyone walking by just enjoys the sight of the animals or feels compelled to go inside and pet the dogs. These pet shops take advantage of the emotions of anyone who happens to stroll past the storefront. That’s why it’s so important that animal rights advocates have been speaking out against the selling of pets in commercial storefronts. One recent example is a store called Pet Barn in Utah.

Pet Barn is a pet store that display rabbits, cats, and dogs at the front of the store. Many of the people that were a part of the protest on January 19 were owners of pets from Pet Barn. Their four-legged friends had been affected by a disease called parvovirus. This serious disease is highly contagious which can cause vomiting, bloody diarrhea, fever, and weight loss. It is usually fatal, especially for puppies.

A woman named Karlee Bursach said that she had taken home her dog, Eevee, and after going to the vet four days later, she found out Eevee had parvovirus. She says that they “don’t offer to help pay for medical expenses”, which proves the neglect that Pet Barn has for their animals.

Protests such as these are taken into notice by legislative representatives. Utah currently does not have any statewide laws that prohibit the sale of animals in a commercial store, only a handful of cities do. These laws would be effective in discouraging the selling of puppies from puppy mills, and may even increase the number of adopted dogs. However, this protest may be the turning point for puppies in stores as it has in one of the cities in Utah, Sandy. After a woman named Kris Nicholl was able to catch a lawmaker’s attention and after six weeks, a bill that prohibits the sale of dogs, cats and rabbits from a commercial breeder was passed.

Like the protesters of Utah, people that live in states that allow the selling of pets in commercial storefronts should band together. This has been proven to work—both on the state and the municipal level. Many areas including the entire state of California and many cities across the country no longer allow the sale of pets in commercial storefronts. The majority of animals sold at pet stores are bred and raised in cruel conditions such as puppy mills, and catch contagious diseases. By outwardly protesting, the state legislatures may take notice and feel compelled to take action. You don’t even have to physically stand outside and hold signs to protest: you can simply mail a letter urging the state to enforce new laws. This will allow the inhumane selling of pets to decrease and the adoption to increase.