UN INT Intro Text w/ Responsive Image - *Important Note* You must UNLINK this shared library component before making page-specific customizations.
Did you know that there are still about 20 pet shops in Virginia that sell puppies, including from puppy mills!? In puppy mills, dogs and puppies are typically denied socialization, exercise, and even veterinary care for open wounds, injuries and infections. Puppies are often taken from their mothers at an early age, packed into crates, and trucked or flown hundreds of miles to brokers and—eventually—pet stores, often without adequate food, water, or ventilation. Some puppies don’t survive the grueling journey.
Eight states have banned the sale of puppies in pet shops, but the sale of dogs is still allowed in Virginia, which, like the rest of the country, is struggling with a companion animal overpopulation and homelessness crisis. Our shelters are flooded with dogs, including purebred dogs, some of whom were purchased from pet shops. PETA recently visited most pet shops in Virginia that sell dogs and found that none of the breeders who supplied the stores were from Virginia—every single store we visited imported dogs from out-of-state puppy mills to sell for thousands of dollars, taking away homes for the equally deserving and wonderful animals who await adoption in Virginia’s animal shelters. The breeders and dealers who supplied the stores had an average of 213 dogs at each of their facilities, the average price of a puppy was $3,052.16, and the stores commonly partnered with predatory lenders that offered interest rates as high as 200%.
Some localities in Virginia—like Prince William County, Greene County, and Fauquier County—have struggled to regulate the pet shops in their communities, as they lack the authority to regulate the sale of animals. To give localities the ability to adopt an ordinance that works best for their communities, Delegate Irene Shin (House District 8) has introduced HB 1238, which would afford localities the ability to regulate or restrict the acquisition, marketing, and sale of animals in a pet shop.
The bill was just reported to the full House of Delegates by the Counties, Cities and Towns Committee, and the pet shop and animal exploitation lobbies are fighting hard to kill this bill behind the scenes, so please help us ensure it continues to advance by asking your Delegate to vote YES on HB 1238. If Del. Shin represents you, please thank her for introducing this legislation.
Please feel free to use our sample letter, but remember that using your own words is always more effective.