Photographer : ilovemods@flickr
The bright lights in the shop window burn his eyes. He will suffer stress, behavioural problems and is likely to be homeless by his second birthday. According to the RSPCA, there is a very high chance this puppy will die or be killed by the age of three.
This is the reality for the pet shop environment globally. The statistics don't lie; animals bought from pet shops are more likely to be abandoned or abused than those adopted from pet shelters.
Perhaps this is why the Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore, has proposed an Animals (Regulation of Sale) Bill, prohibiting the sale of dogs, cats and other mammals from pet shops, fairs and markets. This means that animals could only be purchased from registered breeders, animal pounds, shelters or vets.
Regulation of the pet shop industry
Under current Australian legislation—The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986—pet shops must abide by the Code of Practice for the Operation of Pet Shops.
This code sets out the minimum standards of 'animal accommodation and care', which are appropriate to the short term welfare and behavioural needs of animals that are sold on pet shop premises. However, the legislation has not deterred corrupt pet shops and breeders, nor has it helped reduce the steady rise of animal dump rates.
Pet shop dilemmas
Pet shop store fronts encourage impulse purchases due to effective display techniques and the facilitation of quick purchasing. Cute puppies and kittens are displayed in glass enclosures to lure customers, and just like any other product they can be bought instantly by anyone who has enough cash, no questions asked. A lifelong responsibility is undertaken within the space of ten minutes. Usually, once the pet leaves the store their welfare is completely in the hands of their new owner, and the pet shop is no longer responsible for the animal’s welfare.
Pet shops also create a marketplace for unregistered backyard breeders. According to the Straits Times, unscrupulous owners breed dogs and cats young with little regard to their health or wellbeing. Offspring are then sold to local pet shops without having had vital vaccinations against diseases
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals reports that in some instances mother dogs are enclosed in a pen and used as baby factories until their bodies give out. Then sometimes they too are discarded like rubbish. Rescue, an Australian website that provides information on adopting ands rescuing abandoned animals, says that the offspring often end up being a Christmas dump statistic, or one of the 60 per cent of animals that are put down each year.
In combating the impulse purchase of pets, consider the differences in human adoption to animal adoption. It takes months to adopt a baby human and potential parents are scrutinised closely. The parents are only allowed to adopt a child if they are deemed fit. There is a reason why adoption agencies are not found in shopping malls, so why should animal adoption be any different?
Pet shops versus Clover Moore
Whilst it would be easy to side completely with the bill and deny pet shops their main source of income, it’s important to remember that the pet shop industry contains many operators who only have their animal’s best interests at heart.
One other proposal would be to facilitate partnerships between pet shops, animal shelters and breeders and to educate new pet owners to think long term about the suitability of the animal to their situation. All parties would win, the consumer gets a wider variety of choice, the breeder still can sell their animals, the pet shop still operates and the animal shelter could get some much needed funding. Most importantly the animal’s welfare would come first.
The Animals (Regulation of Sale) Bill is a step in the right direction. However the bill may drive the industry of live animal sale underground through internet advertising thus making regulation of the industry difficult to monitor.
The current laws need to be changed in order to cover the long-term needs of the animals kept in pet shops whilst keeping their short term welfare a priority. Remember pets are not products! Adopt an orphan for life or window shop somewhere else!
What you can do
These are the things to consider before purchasing of an animal from a pet shop as a gift:
- Animal dump rates sky rocket at Christmas
- Animal shelters can not cope with exploding populations caused by animals which have not been de-sexed and must be put down.
- Animal cruelty is prevalent with owners who received pets as a surprise gift.
This is why Clover Moore has decided to take a stand. The most important thing you can do is get informed, ask questions and decide for yourself.
How do I know this?
Pet rescue
www.petrescue.com.au
2007, ‘The Code of Practice for the Private Keeping of Dogs’, Department of Primary Industries
www.dpi.vic.gov.au/dpi/nrenfa.nsf/linkview/
7CDCEBD7F1EB3E5ACA2573980012558F
51F52E6260BC77B8CA2572B10008EED4
2008, Code of Practice for the Operation of Pet Shops, Department of Primary Industries,
www.dpi.vic.gov.au
2007, Animals (Regulation of Sale) Bill
www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/
hansart.nsf/V3Key/LA20071018005 ,11 January.
Pet industry association of Australia, 2007
http://www.piaa.net.au/page/who_is_piaa.html ,11 January
Creagh, S and Munro, C 2007, ‘No more doggy in the window’, SMH, October 19
www.smh.com.au/news/national/no-more-doggy-in-the-window/2007/10/18/1192300954373.html
Vallejo & Bissett, 2008, ‘Pets on death row - Sixty-six unclaimed animals put down every day’, The Daily Telegraph, 21 January
Bega, S ‘2008 more than 23 500 pets adopted last year’, Saturday Star, 12 January
Waterhouse, C 2008, ‘Clamps call on pet sales Animal shelter urges halt on shops' trade to stop impulse buying, Hobart Mercury, 11th January
Welsh, M 2007 'Do you see any empty cages around here; Never before has humane society posted no-more-cats notice: We are desperate, desperate’. Toronto Star, 27 December
Wy-Cin, L 2007, ‘Think twice before buying puppies as festive gifts’, Straits Times, 22nd December
Hastie, D 2007 ‘Pet project has kittens, pups ducking for cover’, Herald-Sun,19 December
