California Becomes First State to Require Stores to Sell Only Rescue Animals

California became the first state to require pet shops to sell rescue animals after Gov. Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 485, the Pet Rescue and Adoption Act, on Friday

File Photo by Chiyacat/Shutterstock.com

Sure, mates, I know you're already in love with this critter and so am I.  The biggest concern is to know your dealer and, in California, I know my pet store can only sell me this critter if he or she is a rescue.  With that knowledge, the critter is already halfway home ... or it would be if I lived in California which (sob) I don't.

Zen Yogi:  what say we move there?

Are you going to trade-in Booboo?

Booboo:  please don't trade me in, Yogi!

Zen Yogi:  I'm not going to trade-in anything, my furry and non-furry friends.  I just want to find this critter and then we can all go to the Sequoia National Forest where we can steal pic-a-nic baskets since many tourists go to see the Giant Redwoods and feel their grand and solemn presence.

It's not your most practical idea but it's a good one, brother bear.  Onward to the article about the little critter.


Oct. 14 (UPI) -- California Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation into law this week that requires pet stores in the state to exclusively sell rescue dogs, cats and rabbits.

Assembly Bill 485, the Pet Rescue and Adoption Act, requires all dogs, cats, and rabbits offered for retail sale in California to be obtained from animal shelters or non-profit rescue organizations.

UPI:  California becomes first state to require stores sell only rescue animals


One of the plagues of the pet industry is the puppy mill.  I had not previously heard the term kitten factory but that applies as well since the owners have little sense of morality and the animals pay the price for their horrendous ways of the mills.  This legislation will put a major hurt on them and they have had that coming for years.


At first my concern was the new law will also put a hurt on ethical animal breeders but that's not true since the law has nothing to do with private sales.  There's no chance anyone would go to a puppy mill directly to find an animal with a true pedigree.  Likely you have seen pictures of puppy mills and the awful conditions subjected on the animals.  No-one would ever buy from them in a private transaction.


Opposition to the legislation came from surprising sources.

"AB 485 blocks all of California's pet lovers from having access to professional, licensed, and ethical commercial breeders," Sheila Goffe, vice president of government relations for the kennel club, said in a release Friday from the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council. "This is not good for Californians or their companion animals."

Assembly Bill 485 unanimously passed the California state senate in September and will go into effect Jan. 1, 2019.

- UPI

As you see from the last paragraphs, that objection is not true and specifically due to the absence of private sales from the legislation.


The legislation likely makes any sales of exotics illegal but a significant percentage of those sales are probably illegal anyway.  It doesn't seem likely the law will affect that much but really the problem is the smuggling and ultimately the idea of selling exotics anywhere except to zoos.  Some have problems with selling exotics to zoos as well but that's a different situation.

Omitting the problems some have with zoos, the Rockhouse doesn't believe exotic animals should ever be sold to private owners.  Collectors will abhor that position but we have a simple response that we don't fuckin' care if if they get pissed off.

Granny:  they will definitely get pissed off and you know what?  It don't mean doodleysquat.  (spits a stream of that juice from chewing tobacco)

I reckon so, Granny.

Ref:  "Outlaw Josey Wales" and Paula Trueman.

Note:  I didn't know her name until just a minute ago when I looked up the cast for the movie which I have watched multiple times.  It may be a surprise to you to hear the sophistication of her background.  (WIKI:  Paula Trueman)

Eastwood loved to use chewing tobacco and the spittoon for the juice it makes since it gave some color, albeit in a disgusting brown stream, to his Old West tough guys ... and tough women like Granny.


The Rockhouse pronounces the new legislation good law which is precisely aimed at the source of the problem without inclusion of any innocent bystanders.  I regard it as moving closer to the way sales of horses are managed and in that market lying about a pedigree is somewhere beyond heresy.

Zen Yogi:  does anyone care about Rockhouse pronouncements?

Well ... I do.  I like what they have done and I commend them for it.