| Buy a Hamster....Go to Jail! |
Jackson Galley, 5, plays with a guinea pig at the Animal Connection in San Francisco, which still sells pets.
Sell a guinea pig, go to jail.
That's the law under consideration by San Francisco's Commission of Animal Control and Welfare. If the commission approves the ordinance at its meeting tonight, San Francisco could soon have what is believed to be the country's first ban on the sale of all pets except fish.
That includes dogs, cats, hamsters, mice, rats, chinchillas, guinea pigs, birds, snakes, lizards and nearly every other critter, or, as the commission calls them, companion animals.
San Francisco residents who want a pet would have to go to another city, adopt one from a shelter or rescue group, or find one through the classifieds.
The Board of Supervisors would have final say on the matter. But not before pet store owners unleash a cacophony of howling, squeaking and squawking.
"It's terrible. A pet store that can't sell pets? It's ridiculous," said John Chan, manager of Pet Central on Broadway, which has been in business 30 years. "We'd have to close."
'Terrible for our business'
Joe Taylor, bird manager of Animal Connection on Judah Street, called the proposal "ludicrous."
"What difference does it make if you get a parrot at the SPCA or a pet store? If it doesn't work out, in either case, you just bring it back," Taylor said. "This would be terrible for our business."
The idea originated about two years ago, when the commission began looking into a ban on dog and cat sales as a way to discourage puppy and kitten mills. But the city's animal control staff said that excess puppies and kittens are not the problem at the city shelter, thanks to the plethora of rescue groups. In any case, only one or two pet stores in San Francisco sell dogs and cats. The rest stick to small animals.
Gotta love the politician in that wacky city.................
Can't wait for the next decision.
They used to say all of America´s loose nuts and bolts fell into California. That´s not quite correct anymore. They all fell into San Francisco, specifically. Jeez, what a bunch of fruitcakes, and that´s not a reference to sexual preference.
ReplyDeleteI would think that there are more pressing issues in that town, like the homeless people who harass tourists and businesses, to worry about pets at this juncture.
ReplyDeleteWacko to say the least!