12/19/2024
Important!
We stand with our friends at in their stance that eliminating the sale of Dogs, Cats, and Rabbits within the city of Calgary poses further issues and risks to responsible ownership and the welfare of animals.
Please see the key points and recommendations - as outlined by Pets Canada and make your voice heard ➡️ https://forms.calgary.ca/content/forms/af/public/public/public-submission-to-city-clerks.html
1. Consumer Choice and Responsible Sourcing:
o Banning retail sales limits consumer options to acquire pets from reputable sources.
Many pet stores collaborate with responsible breeders and adhere to stringent standards to ensure animal health and well-being.
2. Economic Impact on Local Businesses:
o The proposed ban could adversely affect local pet stores, leading to potential closures and job losses. For instance, in New York, similar legislation resulted in significant economic challenges for responsible small pet retailers, with some forced to shut down due to the inability to compete with online suppliers.
3. Unintended Consequences:
o Restricting legal avenues for purchasing pets may inadvertently drive consumers towards unregulated online markets or unscrupulous breeders, exacerbating the very issues the ban seeks to mitigate.
4. Impact on Animal Shelters:
o While such bans aim to reduce shelter intake and improve animal welfare, evidence
suggests that they may not achieve these goals in the long term. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a surge in pet adoptions, followed by an increase in pet surrenders due to owners’ lack of preparedness and resources. 1
o Shelters have cited reasons for owner surrendered pets has directly been related to the ever-increasing cost of caring for a pet. 2
o This indicates that limiting purchase options without adequate education and support may not effectively reduce shelter intake or improve animal welfare.
Recommendations:
• Safe Sourcing:
o Allowing the continued sale of dogs, cats and rabbits by registered local pet
businesses gives the city the ability to have traceable and inspected sources of pets. Removing the retail framework, will indeed drive Calgarians to other unregulated sources. Working with the existing framework helps the city to ensure the wellbeing its pets.
• Enhanced Regulation and Oversight:
o Implementing stricter regulations and regular inspections for pet retailers can
ensure that animals are sourced responsibly and treated humanely, without eliminating consumer choice.
1 Pandemic Pets, Global News
2 Cost of Care, Global News
• Public Education Campaigns:
o Educating the public on responsible pet ownership and the importance of sourcing pets from ethical breeders or adoption agencies can address welfare concerns more
effectively.
• Support for Shelters and Rescue Organizations:
o Providing additional resources and support to local shelters can help manage overpopulation and promote adoption without imposing restrictive measures on the entire pet industry.
