Kudos to Richmond B. C. for shutting down Puppymills!!

Cross posting from numerous Yahoo groups and blogs across N. America.

HUGE thank you to the citizens of Richmond and greater B.C. for leading the way. Hopefully other cities, provinces,  US counties and states will follow. USDA inspections mean PUPPY MILL!  Reputable breeders only  breed a few litters per year and do NOT house their dogs in facilities ie BARNS, SHEDS, requiring inspections like  you would for cattle or hogs! ___________________________________________________________________________________

Richmond stops sale of dogs in stores 
METRO VANCOUVER - Richmond city council voted unanimously on  Monday night to
draft a bylaw amendment that would ban the sale of dogs  in pet stores, in what
the B.C. SPCA is calling a "landmark move against  puppy mills.

While several U.S. cities already have such a ban in place, it is the first time
a decision of the kind has been made in Canada.

"The City of Richmond showed such leadership being the first in Canada,"  said
Lorie Chortyk, general manager of community relations for the B.C.  SPCA. "We're
really hoping that this is something other municipalities  will see as the
progressive way to go."

Councillors voted unanimously for the amendment, initially proposed by  Coun.
Ken Johnston last year, after hearing from more than a dozen  delegations. It
will be brought to council for preliminary approval on  Oct. 12, followed by
public consultation.

Pet-store owners would be given until next spring to sell or remove all dogs.

Chortyk said the decision will help prevent the breeding of puppies in  puppy
mills, where they are subject to cruel and inhumane conditions.

"Pet stores will always tell you that they only deal with reputable  breeders
and family-run breeders, but our experience has been just the  opposite,"
Chortyk said. "Pet Habitat, for instance ... get their dogs  from the Hunte
Corporation, which is a massive puppy broker in the U.S."

Ernest Ang, owner of Pet Habitat in Richmond Centre, said he was shocked  and
saddened by the decision, insisting all of Pet Habitat's animals  come from
USDA-certified facilities and are inspected by veterinarians  through the
Canadian Food Inspection Agency's Animal Health Export  Program.

"I went into the pet business because I love pets," said Ang, who opened  Pet
Habitat in 1980. "All the staff that work with me really love  animals and we
really take good care of the puppies and kittens we have  in the store."

Ang believes the city should inspect individual stores for violations  rather
than implement a city-wide ban on dog sales in pet stores.

"I think the city just has to be fair," he said. "They have to look  further and
see if we're doing anything wrong. If we're doing something  wrong, come in and
tell me. I'm willing to correct myself."

If the amendment passes, Richmond residents wanting dogs can get them from the
SPCA or from reputable breeders, Chortyk said.

There are more than 10,000 puppy mills operating in the U.S., breeding  between
two and four million dogs annually, according to Kristin Bryson,  a criminal
prosecutor who volunteers as a member of the B.C. SPCA board  of directors.

Bryson said U.S. taxpayers spend about $2 billion each year to house and
euthanize unwanted animals.

American cities with full bans on live animal sales in pet stores  include
Hermosa Beach, South Lake Tahoe and West Hollywood in  California; Fort
Lauderdale, Coral Gables, Lauderdale Lakes, Flagler  Beach, North Bay Village
and Opa-Locka in Florida; and Austin, Texas.

Albuquerque, N.M., imposed a ban on the retail sale of all companion  animals in
2006. Since then, animal adoptions have increased by 23 per  cent and euthanasia
at city shelters has decreased 35%, says Bryson.