SPCA of Texas supports Dallas Humane Pet Store Ordinance

An issue brewing at Dallas City Hall has ramifications which could impact the the overall well-being of animals in the local area. The SPCA of Texas strongly supports the passage of the Dallas Humane Pet Store Ordinance. Current Texas state law does not adequately protect commercially bred puppies or kittens from being sold at pet stores and does not adequately protect the consumers who purchase them. This new ordinance would protect consumers and animals alike as it prohibits the sale of puppies and kittens in pet stores.

Commercially bred animals often pay with their lives from illnesses they contract due to inappropriate care. And people who buy them often pay thousands of dollars for the treatment of preventable illnesses such as Parvo and Distemper. This ordinance can keep animals from suffering and prevent the heartbreak of a pet owner losing a beloved family member on top of bearing often an insurmountable financial burden.

Additionally, having such an ordinance would improve the welfare of pets and pet owners in the City of Dallas by assisting in reducing the number of animals in our local shelters by disallowing dogs from puppy mills to be sold in stores. It would, in fact, also support dozens of local, Dallas-based humane pet stores that do not sell puppies but rather partner with local animal shelters like the SPCA of Texas to rehome thousands of dogs and cats each year.

Since our Animal Cruelty Investigations Unit began responding to animal cruelty cases in the 1980s, the SPCA of Texas has seized thousands of dogs, puppies, cats and kittens from puppy and kitten mills, and has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars at the very least over three decades to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome these animals who had no voice of their own.

And we are just one such group doing this work.

The City of Houston passed a similar ordinance in mid-January, and we celebrate this milestone. Further, 400 other U.S. cities in over 30 states have banned the sale of puppies and kittens from pet stores. Nine of those cities are in Texas. It is time Dallas protected pets and people in the same way.