Should we ban the sale of animals in pet shops?

[Photo by Animax]


Sydney's Lord Mayor, Clover Moore MP, wants to introduce a law to ban the sale of animals in pet shops because too many pets are being put down due to 'impulse purchases'. Dog lovers pass by the window and fall in love with the cute "take me home" puppy face, without thinking about the zillion responsibilities of caring for a dog for its entire life. When reality hits home, often these innocent dogs become unwanted and then dumped at the pound. Not a good start to life, is it?

If the Bill is successful and markets and pet shops no longer permit to sell companion animals, Clover Moore says we might see a decreasing of demand for puppy milling and consequently a reduction of the number of animals dumped and needlessly destroyed. But what if it doesn't? Puppy farms breed hundreds of dogs a year and often sell puppies cheaper than in pet stores. Qualified dog breeders will advise to check out the puppy's parents to make sure they don't carry any genetic diseases. If you're lucky to see the parents at a puppy farm, it will most likely be the sorry sight of a heavily pregnant bitch waiting to birth the next of many litters.

I'm not sure if banning the sale of animals in pet shops is the answer to unwanted dogs. People need to be educated by animal health and behaviour experts. If people cannot find dogs in pet shops and do not wish to go to a puppy farm, then they will consider doing it themselves at home!

As editor of Dogs Life magazine, I regularly meet people who want to breed at home "for fun". They will find a "suitable mate" (not sure what that means because when I ask them about hereditary diseases, I generally get a blank look), and when the puppies are born, they will keep one, Aunt Rose and Uncle Benny are ready to take two, and a few friends have put their hands up. Let's assume all have thought about the lifelong responsibility of dog ownership - including forking out hundreds of dollars a year for ongoing veterinary, food and related bills.

But what if the birth goes wrong? I remember receiving an email, that their dog had gone into labour overnight, and how long was too long to wait for the puppies to come out? The email came over a Friday night and it was Monday morning by the time I responded - call your vet ASAP!! I never heard back so I don't know if there were in fact any serious complications.

When people who are not qualified to breed take such risks, they are sometimes faced with an unhappy ending. The puppies die and the mother suffers a horrible and painful death.

Not fun anymore is it?