Irvine bans retail pet sales, rodeos, some circuses
October 12, 2011 11:36am
Animal activists, including one man dressed in a head-to-toe dog costume, cheered Tuesday night when Irvine City Council members banned the retail sale of cats and dogs.
The ordinance, which passed by a 4-1 vote with Councilman Jeffrey Lalloway dissenting, also bans rodeos and circuses featuring exotic animals, the Daily Pilot reported.
"It's just a win for animals all around," said Irvine resident Wendy Fears, a member of a small local group that helped organize support for the ban. "I'm just real proud of Irvine for standing up against animal abuse."
While Lalloway expressed disgust for those capable of animal cruelty, he worried that the proposed ordinance may move pet sales to the Internet and "import a pet problem rather than stop it."
"Today, tonight, we are here to deal with a problem that simply does not exist," Lalloway said. "We do not have any mass-breeding facilities here in Irvine. We have one pet store, Russo's, which will not be selling dogs and cats after next year."
In August, the Irvine Co., which owns the Irvine Spectrum where Russo's Pet Experience operates, announced that it would not renew the store's lease when it expires in October 2012.
The city also does not host circuses featuring wild animals or hold rodeos, Lalloway said.
While existing animal welfare laws should be enforced, new legislation in the city should "focus on putting people back to work, not on a problem that does not exist," he said.
More than 50 public speakers presented arguments to the council citing inhumane conditions found in so-called puppy mills and buyers' lack of knowledge about them and the associated health risks.
"The reason that we need to make these laws is that the public is duped," Fears said. "Every pet store will tell you that they get their dogs from responsible breeders, but the truth is that responsible breeders would never sell to a pet store."
However, Fears, who volunteers with multiple animal rights groups, said activists would now start looking toward other cities to adopt similar ordinances.
"This is just the first step in a process," Fears said. "People are starting to be become aware of how horrible a puppy mill is."
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— Sarah Peters, Times Community News
Photo: Russo's Spectrum Pets in Irvine on Aug. 17. Irvine City Council members banned the retail sale of cats and dogs Tuesday. Credit: Don Leach / Times Community



70 US Malls Ban Pet Sales


Dear Fellow Animal-Welfare Advocates,
This is really big news! Macerich, a US shopping center developer with 70 malls across the US (including Southern Hills in Sioux City, Lindale in Cedar Rapids and Southridge in Des Moines) is banning the sale of pets in their malls. Here is a link to the story: Breaking News.
Here is a link to the Macerich website. If you have time please send them a Thank You! Send a brief note to their Executive Vice President of Real Estate, Randy Brant, at randy.brant@macerich.com. Please also show your support by frequenting these malls when possible.
This is very important and will no doubt have a domino effect on other malls. Those malls that currently allow pet sales need to hear from us; the public. We must tell them in words and with our shopping dollars that we will not support them as long as they allow the sale of pets.
If you know of a store that sells puppies, please print this news article and deliver it to them along with a respectful request to ban pet sales.
This is one of the best ways to fix the puppy mill problem....eliminate the outlet! Very good news!!
Mary LaHay, President
Iowa Voters for Companion Animals


Funding our efforts
Covered with bite marks.
Rescued from Iowa mill.

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or
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