City bylaw would ban sale of dogs, cats in pet stores
Licensing commission decision in line with ‘adopt not shop’ model
Animal welfare advocates were expressing jubilance and excitement Wednesday after the city’s licensing commission voted unanimously to ban the sale of dogs and cats at pet shops.
The proposed bylaw amendment, which still has to be endorsed by city council, would only allow pet shops in the city to offer cats and dogs “as part of adoption programs and not allow any sales for profit.”
That’s what already happens at most of the pet stores in the city. Places such as Petsmart and Pet
Valu don’t sell dogs and cats, and many instead work in conjunction with pet rescue or foster organizations and the Windsor/essex County Humane Society to adopt pets out of their stores. Only one local store, Corbret’s Tropical Fish and Pet supplies on Walker Road, advertise the sale of cats and dogs, though it hasn’t sold any in more than a year.
Resident Jayme Lauzon, who spoke as a delegate Wednesday, said she was “thrilled” with the unanimous decision by the licensing commission.
“Thank God, it really will have no impact on any direct store, but it puts in place the model for any future prospects coming in, trying to open up a shop and profit from the sales of animals,” she said.
“There are hundreds and hundreds of dogs right now in foster (care) and rescues all over Windsor and area. This gives them a better chance of actually being adopted out.”
Humane society executive director Melanie Coulter said the change will bring Windsor up to date with many other Canadian municipalities that are updating their licensing bylaws with this “adopt not shop” model for pet shops.
“It really is becoming a thing of the past that pet stores are selling dogs and cats,” she said after the meeting. “The idea of going into a pet store and seeing a pet, that often did come from a puppy mill, is something I think a lot of people are happy to see going into the past.”
While not referring to any local stores specifically, she said pet stores in North America get many of their dogs from puppy mills. And when animals are being bred for profit, the welfare of the animal takes a back seat.
She recounted the dire condition of dogs she’s seen rescued from puppy mills. The moms are basically “shut down,” after the treatment they received. Some are unused to walking on grass. “That kind of thing is what most (people) would not want to see,” she said, adding that in other cases pet stores sell dogs and cats that are ill, because they don’t want to pay the vet bills on an animal they will sell for only a few hundred dollars.
Cory Drouillard, whose family has owned Corbret’s Pets for 53 years, said his store would never get its pets from puppy mills.
“What we do is we buy off individual people. Your mother, your father, they have puppies for sale. Instead of putting it in the paper or on the internet, they bring them to me or we go to the house. We see the animal, if we want them we purchase them.”
He said it’s a way for someone to make sure their puppies or kittens will end up in a good home.
“We’re a family business. My dad (Mike) has been doing it for 53 years, I’ve been doing it 35 to 40 years. We do it from our hearts because we love what we do.”
He said he’d love to work with the humane society on helping with the adoption of pets out of his store. But he cautioned the commission that banning sales will probably just mean that more puppy and kitten sales will go underground. Many years ago, the city banned reptiles, but sales of reptile supplies have been increasing significantly at his store in recent years, said Drouillard.
“So somebody’s selling them.” It was estimated that local rescue groups adopt out about 700 animals annually. The humane society adopts out more than 3,000. Coulter said having pet shops act as the storefront for rescue groups helps with adoptions because the pets are located in places where prospective adopters can see them, as opposed to in various foster homes. Hosting these adoption outlets can benefit the stores, because people looking for a pet might buy some supplies — pet food, litter, toys — while there.
A survey of municipalities showed that Windsor, Hamilton, Thunder Bay and Calgary don’t restrict the sale of animals (except exotic animals) in pet stores, but London, Toronto, Montreal, Brampton, Kitchener and Waterloo have recently adopted versions of the “adopt not shop” approach.
“I like the fact we’re getting out of the for-profit business of selling dogs and cats,” said commission member Ward 8 Coun. Gary Kaschak. It’s a new era, he said, referring to the vigilance of animal welfare advocates.
“I think it’s the end of buying at a pet store.”