ASPCA Commends Atlanta City Council for Prohibiting the Sale of Puppies and Kittens in Pet Stores

NEW YORK—The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) commends the Atlanta City Council for passing an ordinance prohibiting the retail sale of puppies and kittens. Atlanta joins eight other Georgia local governments, along with hundreds of other towns and cities across the country that have taken action to ban the sale of commercially bred puppies and kittens in an effort to protect public health, consumers, and animals.

“Pet stores have been the primary sellers of cruelly-bred puppy mill puppies, and these unscrupulous retail outlets profit from breeding practices that can cause animals to suffer from illness and congenital problems,” said Jennifer Hobgood, director of state legislation for the ASPCA, Southeast region. “We thank Councilmember Farokhi for leading this effort to ensure that pet stores that perpetuate the cycle of animal cruelty will not be able to set up shop in the city of Atlanta, and we urge Mayor Bottoms to sign the proposal into law.”

Most puppies sold in pet stores come from commercial breeding operations that prioritize profit over the wellbeing of the animals. Dogs at these facilities are often kept in crowded, unsanitary conditions without adequate access to veterinary care, food, water or socialization. Dogs kept captive in these conditions produce puppies who may suffer health and behavioral problems that are not often disclosed to buyers – often leaving the people who buy these puppies to bear the financial loss and heartbreak.

The ASPCA’s Barred From Love campaign urges the public to join the fight for love and speak out against the cruel breeding industry. The #BarredFromLove campaign also encourages dog lovers to adopt from a local shelter or rescue group or learn how to sniff out the good from the cruel when it comes to finding a dog breeder.

For more information about the ASPCA’s efforts to crack down on puppy mill cruelty, please visit www.BarredFromLove.org.