The San Diego Humane Society announced today that its Humane Law Enforcement division conducted a one-day sweep of pet stores and issued more than 100 citations for violations of a partial state ban on the sale of dogs, cats and rabbits.
Assembly Bill 485, which went into effect at the beginning of this year, requires pet stores to get their animals from a partnered shelter or rescue center in an effort to curb the sale of pets from so-called puppy mills and kitten factories that breed animals for sale en masse, often in inhumane conditions.
Humane Law Enforcement officers issued 39 citations to Broadway Puppies and 38 to Bark Avenue, both located in Escondido, for failing to provide a documented agreement with a public or private animal shelter or rescue organization, according to Humane Society spokeswoman Dariel Walker. Officers also issued 25 citations to Pups & Pets in Santee for improper signage on the cages holding its available animals, she said.
A spokesman for Broadway Puppies, Mark Patterson, said the store "and its parent organization are faithfully following the letter of the law in this case and will be exonerated of these citations. Other pet stores in San Diego County have been subject to similar harassment by SDHS only to have the citations dismissed in court."
Representatives of the other two pet stores could not immediately be reached for comment on the citations, which were issued during a countywide sweep Wednesday of pet stores under the Humane Society's purview.
Last July, the county's Department of Animal Services ceded nearly all countywide animal-control duties to the Humane Society, save for unincorporated areas of the county that are served by the department's shelters in Carlsbad and Bonita.
"My advice is beware," said Humane Law Enforcement Officer Allen Villasenor. "As a brand-new law takes effect, people will use different methods to try to circumvent the law and at this point it's our job to make sure everything is in compliance. ... I always suggest looking into shelters first, go to the adoption agencies first and see if you can find the right fit for your family there."
Residents can report possible violations of the state pet sale laws by calling the Humane Society's Law Enforcement division at 619-299-7012.
Broadway Puppies' statement to News 8:
"Broadway Puppies and its parent organization are faithfully following the letter of the law in this case and will be exonerated of these citations. Other pet stores in San Diego County have been subject to similar harassment by SDHS only to have the citations dismissed in court. Californians can still buy purebred and mixed breed puppies directly from breeders and on-line, so this would seem to be a specific effort to harass with the intent to destroy law abiding businesses and the jobs associated with them. Broadway Puppies and other stores affected in San Diego County are also minority owned businesses, and we have directed our legal team to reach out to the United States Department of Justice regarding this harassment."
Pups & Pets Santee owner, Sharon Franco, sent News 8 the following statement:
"Pups & Pets was given a surprise inspection by two Humane Society Officers yesterday. We were found to be in complete compliance other than not having tags up on animals that had just arrived. The tags were printed and available for their review, just had not been placed on each window yet. They came less than an hour of opening and my staff was busy weighing and deworming new puppies. They found all our paperwork to be in order and our animals in great health. Pups & Pets is, and will always be, dedicated to complying with the new law and will continue to place animals into loving forever homes."
Bark Avenue had no comment.