Ban the Sale of Non-Rescue/Shelter Pets in Oshawa Ontario Pet Stores!
- by: Denise
- recipient: The People and City Council of Oshawa, Ontario
In 2010, Richmond became the first city in Canada to ban sales of dogs and cats in pet stores. Since then, Toronto, Mississauga and, most recently, Kingston (which has also banned the sales of rabbits) have all followed suit. I propose that Oshawa be the next city to ban not only cats, dogs and rabbits but all animals (big and small) from pet stores.
By supporting your local shelters and rescues, not only will you save the lives of animals but you will also help to keep the pet population down and prevent cruelty to animals.
When purchasing an animal from a pet store, this is what you are supporting (excerpt taken from http://cfhs.ca/athome/puppy_mills/):
Many pet store puppies are born to suffering, malnourished dogs in puppy mills. The females used for breeding are bred every heat possible, resulting in two litters a year until they are six to eight years old when they are often killed because they are too worn out to produce anymore.
Puppy mill owners are intent on keeping costs down to increase the profits of their puppy sales. Dogs are, therefore, kept in unsanitary cages, often in cages or crates where they hardly have room to move. In some of the worst mills wire cages are often stacked on top of each other and excrement falls through from one cage to the next resulting in dogs with matted fur coated in feces and urine.
In other mills, dogs are kept in stalls thick with excrement or in crates hanging from the ceiling. They are fed just enough to keep them alive, and the food is the cheapest the owner can find. The dogs rarely get necessary veterinary treatment, so preventable diseases can run rampant through puppy mills. (Canadian Federation of Humane Societies,
Unfortunately, space is limited in shelters, and many animals are euthanized if they are not adopted within a certain amount of time. Rescuing a pet from a reputable shelter or pet rescue (this does not include Craigslist, Kijiji or a farm) and not buying your pet from a pet store will save the lives of thousands of animals a year. Statistics Canada and the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies state that in Canada approximately 220,000 cats and dogs enter shelters each year, and approximately 80,000 cats and dogs are euthanized by shelters annually. We can bring these numbers down by banning the sales of all pets in pet stores. Remember, shelters rescue more than just dogs or cats; birds, horses, guinea pigs, hamsters, reptiles, farm animals and all kinds of other animals are rescued and waiting to find their loving forever home.
Let's make a difference in the lives of animals. Please support me in working to ban the sales of all animals from pet stores in the City of Oshawa.
Dear City of Oshawa:
In 2010, Richmond became the first city in Canada to ban sales of dogs and cats in pet stores. Since then, Toronto, Mississauga and, most recently, Kingston (which has also banned the sales of rabbits) have all followed suit.
We, the undersigned, are asking that a by-law be passed in the City of Oshawa that prohibits the sale of all animals in pet stores except those who are available for adoption from registered shelters or rescues.
The Canadian Federation of Human Societies’ national shelter statistics of 2010 state the following:
Dogs Cats Other Totals
Admitted 42,834 90,841 9,543 143,218
Adopted 22,239 41,542 4,576 68,357
Returned to Owner 12,104 3,453 168 15,725
Transferred to other Org 1,720 769 480 2,969
Euthanized 6,253 42,252 3,205 51,700
Died in Shelter 175 877 192 1,244
By implementing this ban, the City of Oshawa will be encouraging people to adopt from local pet shelters and rescue organizations in lieu of purchasing animals from pet stores, many of which receive their animals from puppy/kitten mills, where animals are exposed to inhumane conditions (excerpt taken from http://cfhs.ca/athome/puppy_mills/):
Many pet store puppies are born to suffering, malnourished dogs in puppy mills. The females used for breeding are bred every heat possible, resulting in two litters a year until they are six to eight years old when they are often killed because they are too worn out to produce anymore.
Puppy mill owners are intent on keeping costs down to increase the profits of their puppy sales. Dogs are, therefore, kept in unsanitary cages, often in cages or crates where they hardly have room to move. In some of the worst mills wire cages are often stacked on top of each other and excrement falls through from one cage to the next resulting in dogs with matted fur coated in feces and urine.
In other mills, dogs are kept in stalls thick with excrement or in crates hanging from the ceiling. They are fed just enough to keep them alive, and the food is the cheapest the owner can find. The dogs rarely get necessary veterinary treatment, so preventable diseases can run rampant through puppy mills. (Canadian Federation of Humane Societies)
As a compassionate and kind-hearted city, we need to stand up for these animals and stop all cruelty that is inflicted upon them. We need to bring awareness to our residents that animals in puppy mills are forced to live in cruel and inhumane conditions. The City of Oshawa must lead by example and prove that we care about the well-being of all creatures.
Let's continue to build Oshawa on a sustainable platform. Let's become the first city in Canada to ban the sale of ALL animals in pet stores!
Respectfully,
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