July 24, 2013

It is done!

San Diego July 23, 2013
There is dancing in the streets tonight as San Diego becomes the lucky # 13 city in California to ban the sale of puppies in any pet stores within the city. And... just because it is right, we also added cats and rabbits to the ban. Today was the second (and final)reading of the ban by the San Diego City Council. It was pulled for discussion because there were public comment slips turned in by the opposition.
Thanks to the great 6 City Council members who voted YES today. (Sherri Lightner and Scott Sherman sadly voted on the side of puppy mills.) David Salinas, owner of San Diego Puppy, called together 13 people to make public comments against the ordinance. Those included the cat fanciers, a member of the La Mesa City Council, the owner of Pet Market, David Salinas and others. When questioned by Lightner, Dr. Gary Weitzman, Director of the San Diego Humane Society and Dawn Danielson, Director of the County Department of Animal Services did a great job of explaining the technicalities of the ordinance.

 Thanks to everyone who was there today! Thanks to everyone who made this happen! It will go into effect 30 days after the Mayor signs. He has 10 business days to sign.
WooHoo! VICTORY for the puppies
and their mothers!

July 12, 2013

Finally! No more puppy mill sales in San Diego!

VICTORY!!!
The ordinance to ban the sale of dogs, cats and rabbits in San Diego pet stores was passed by the City Council yesterday! Those of us in the Council meeting room cheered with joy when the unanimous vote came in. We have worked long and hard for this and that includes every one of you receiving this message.
We know what you did. We know how much you cared. We celebrate this victory with YOU! It is because of you that puppy mill pups will no longer be sold in the city of San Diego.
With full hearts we thank you.
 
For those who couldn't be with us yesterday, we thought you might like to read the presentation, given by Janice Hatch on behalf of the San Diego Animal Defense Team, as part of the working group who gave this the final push. In addition, we had over 15 speakers lined up to weigh in during the public comment section to cover every aspect of the outrage of puppy mills. They spoke with one voice -- the voice of compassion and knowledge. They put it over the top!

The San Diego Animal Defense Team is a grassroots group that has been working exclusively on the local puppy mill problem since 2008. Our focus is the connection between puppy mills and San Diego city and county pet stores. We have held hundreds of educational outreach events and protests at all of the pet stores selling puppies, including Pet Works in Grossmont Center, Pups and Pets in Santee, California Pets in Escondido and Carlsbad, Puparazzi in Mission Valley Shopping Center, Puppy Stars in Clairemont, Naedeen Puppies in Oceanside, Pet Place in Rolando and San Diego Puppy in Grantville.
 
We documented the puppies in each store. We investigated and researched their breeders. What we found is disturbing.
 
Every San Diego store that we investigated uses puppy mill breeders. We have been able to identify these breeders through information given to us by people who bought the puppies, which we then tracked through a central data base and USDA reports.
 
Many of the same mass-producing puppy mills supply all of the San Diego area stores.
 
 (slide) One is the infamous Stonehenge Kennel in West Point, Iowa. 1,118 breeding dogs are trapped in cages in the buildings you see on the aerial view slide.
(slide) Here's what you see when you look inside. They have multiple USDA violations of the most basic kinds of humane care.
 
In addition to educational outreach and investigations, we sent a letter to each store, offering to help them change to a humane model so they could continue their businesses cruelty-free. I have a copy here if you want one. We don't want the stores to close. We also don't want them to build their business on the backs of suffering animals.
 
We offered to provide contacts with breed rescues and shelters. We offered to promote the store. We offered to provide additional information about professional  and public relations volunteers who would help them promote their new humane model stores at no cost.
 
We are sorry to report that no one was interested.
 
It's important that we all keep in mind these are businesses that do not sell products. They sell living, breathing, feeling animals. The animals feel pain and fear and they need the comfort and companionship of humans. We hope you agree with us that San Diego does not want businesses that are fundamentally based on cruelty to animals.
 
This is a multi-billion $$$ industry, with profits at multiple levels -- the puppy mills to the brokers to the puppy stores. Everyone wins at this money game but the animals. And they lose every time.
 
This ordinance is about protecting them. Please do the right thing. Vote YES.
 
 
 
 
 
 

July 08, 2013

T O M O R R O W!!!!!!

Here we go! We are down to the final City Council vote that will stop the sale of puppies from puppy mills in San Diego! After all of your hard work, standing at pet stores holding signs, passing out flyers and educating people about choices to find a puppy or kitten, making calls, signing petitions and endorsing this ordinance, it is NOW TIME that we can all go to the City Council and be counted!!! 
THIS IS IT!!!

JOIN the San Diego Animal Defense Team

to tell the City Council 
to ban the sale of dogs, cats and rabbits in
San Diego pet stores!!!
Now is the time to let them know that we
want this ordinance!

PLEASE WEAR RED TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR THE
ORDINANCE!

You will be given a speaker's form for public comment when you enter. If you want to speak, that's great! (You will have one minute.) Otherwise, please write on the form that you will give your time to 
the San Diego Animal Defense Team. 



TOMORROW!!!
JULY 9, 2013 at 2pm
Be sure to come early to get a seat in the room.


202 C Street, San Diego