Victory: Gov. Snyder Vetoed Pro–Puppy Mill Bills!

Thanks to your calls and e-mails, a pair of bills that sought to prohibit localities from restricting the sale of puppies and kittens at pet stores and enable shops to purchase animals from puppy mills has been vetoed by Gov. Rick Snyder. The bill package—House Bills 5916 and 5917—proposed placing some regulations on the sale of dogs at pet stores but included dangerous language that would have allowed stores to buy animals from large-scale breeding factories and prohibited local communities from banning the practice altogether.

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A pair of bills that, if signed into law, will prohibit localities from restricting the sale of puppies and kittens at pet stores has passed in the Michigan legislature. While the bill package—House Bills (H.B.) 5916 and 5917—proposes placing some regulations on the sale of dogs at pet stores, it includes dangerous language that would allow stores to buy animals from large-scale breeding factories (mills) and prohibit local communities from banning the practice altogether.

As you know, the United States faces a tragic homeless-animal overpopulation crisis that results in millions of animals entering shelters annually. Every year, Michigan animal shelters are forced to euthanize thousands of homeless and unwanted dogs and cats simply because there are more of them than there are suitable homes. But local bans on the sale of dogs and cats at pet shops have been shown to help: After passing an ordinance prohibiting pet shops from selling dogs and cats, Albuquerque, New Mexico, reported that its shelters’ animal adoptions had increased by 23 percent and euthanasia had decreased by 35 percent!

Michigan cities such as Fraser and New Baltimore have taken similar steps to reduce the number of animals who end up homeless and in need of refuge at local animal shelters every year, but their progressive laws will be preempted if H.B. 5916 and 5917 pass.