Although COVID-19 has not caused the predicted baby boom, it instead has created a pet boom. With many individuals confined to more time at home they’re looking to adopt pets, so demand has led to an increase of pet-breeding.
In an attempt to prompt empty shelters, rather than support the breeding industry, the Naperville government changed its rules for pet stores, which drove some businesses to Aurora. Now, Aurora is considering similar measures. At first glance, it makes perfect sense. Everyone wants to see every shelter pet adopted and stop puppymill breeding! Unfortunately, the issue is far more complicated.
I spoke with Jonathan Berning, owner of Happiness Is Pets, who recently moved his business to Aurora. Berning told me that an ordinance passed in Naperville, mandates that pet stores only sell rescue dogs. It took effect in January. Berning explained: “The common belief is that no responsible breeder sells to pet stores. This is not true. While there are some bad actors, there are many responsible breeders who work with stores, and the reality is that people are often looking for particular breeds, with particular characteristics. When they can’t find them in a shelter or pet store, unregulated breeders are stepping up to fill the void.”
I asked Berning what potential customers are specifically looking for when they come to his store. “Smaller breeds, like Golden Doodles, Shih Tzu, and French Bulldogs are popular,” he said.
I adopted an abandoned pet from another town. She was taken in by Treasured Animal Rescue, run by Kelly Gage of Aurora, who has been rescuing pets for 30 years. Gage told me: “There are no pet shortages, if people truly want to adopt needy animals. Vans full of animals come up from the South, where rules are lax and few animals are spayed or neutered. But many people insist on a purebred, hypoallergenic, or extremely young animals. It can drive them to animals coming from Asia, who have been ripped from their mothers too early, are likely to be unvaccinated, and may be carrying untreated diseases. The Animal Welfare Act has only a passing mention of breeders, so that many breeders slip through the cracks, virtually unregulated.”
What is the answer? A friend told me about a program called Canine Care Certified (CCC), created by Dr. Candace Croney of Purdue University’s Center for Animal Welfare Science, in collaboration with scientists and veterinarians. It sets standards for breeders, inspecting them every 16 months.
I spoke directly to Dr. Croney about the program. “With COVID-19,” she said, “there has been so much adoption that when people can’t find exactly what they want, they go online to places such as Craig’s List and pay a premium, then adopt a pet before having any interaction with that animal. They fall in love with a cute picture.”
She explained that CCC is similar to a Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval, and let buyers know their prospective pets are raised humanely. They are not only physically healthy, but have been properly socialized so the pet owner is set up to succeed, not fail. She’s had requests from around the country and even internationally, for information about her program. Organizations don’t want to reinvent this wheel, when Purdue University already has a program that works.
Croney, Berning, and Gage, all agreed that it is unrealistic to expect that the market will be primarily driven by everyone who wants to give forever homes to needy pets. Wishing it, or even trying to legislate it, will not make it so. What we can do is raise standards and vet the breeders who sell to stores, so buyers confidently can buy from reputable breeders, not puppymills.
“There is a price to pay when breeders use rape machines on mothers and sell babies too soon,” said Gage. “Animals may be ill-tempered and later abandoned.
If you are planning to adopt, never buy a pet you haven’t met in person. Scams abound, with online vendors taking your money, then giving you a sick pet, or no pet at all. I highly recommend Berning’s store or Gage’s rescue. Wherever you go, ask for a Canine Care Certified animal.
May future legislation be based on common sense and compromise. May stores and rescues continue to collaborate. It takes all of us to ensure animal welfare. Gage said, “We have to work together as a team.”