Rejoice all pet lovers! California has recently passed the A.B. 485 bill, which officially announces that all pet stores must get their animals from rescues and shelters. This is an incredible step against puppy mills, which have long been scrutinized under the eyes of pet lovers.

Puppy mills are horrific industries that profit off of breeding the “perfect” dog. To get to a “perfect” dog, breeders constantly breed animals and selectively choose a handful of the thousands of animals bred. They are kept in deplorable conditions, living in their own waste, crammed into wire cages, without any medical care, and without any human interaction– most have never even stepped foot into grass. This abusive treatment has been long noted by several animal lovers, and because of this many have boycotted pet stores for years, refusing to support an industry that profits off of the neglection of their animals.

The A.B. 485 Bill, also known as the Pet Rescue and Adoption Act, now bans pet stores from selling dogs, cats, or rabbits, unless these animals are coming from shelters and rescues. It was introduced by assembly members Patrick O’Donnell and Matt Dababneh and officially signed by Governor Jerry Brown. If pet stores do not comply with these new rules, they are fined $500.

More than 230 cities across the United States have similar laws enforced, but California is the first state to enforce it statewide. This bill was created in efforts to reduce the number of euthanizations that occur in California. Approximately 1.5 million animals are euthanized each year in California (Humane Society). It was also noted that AB 484 would benefit taxpayers– Californians spend more than $250 million a year to “house and euthanize animals in our shelters.”

AB 485 also focuses on promoting the adoption of rescue animals in shelters and rescues. This will be extremely helpful for rescues and shelters across California, because more animals will be exposed to potential adopters and they’ll be able to find forever homes! By implementing this, the bill will eventually end all puppy mills in California. In addition to puppies, pet stores will be banned from selling cats or rabbits, unless these animals are coming from shelters and rescues. 

Bridgette Magana (11) exclaimed her excitement about the new bill, “I think every life matters, especially animals, because they have no voice to defend themselves. People shouldn’t breed more animals and instead they should just save more.”

The bill will be enforced starting January 2019, so make sure to visit a pet store starting then! Despite this great bill, individuals are still allowed to buy from private breeders; hopefully, the next bill California passes will look into this!