They’re pouring over the border from Mexico, stuffed into semi trucks and freight cars, and they’re now in our communities. Calm down people, I’m not going full Donald here; I’m talking about puppies!
At least, that’s what Jeannine Wade from the Santa Maria Chapter of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said at the Santa Maria City Council meeting on Nov. 15. Animal activists are publicly upset with the Animal Kingdom pet store at the Santa Maria Town Center, so much so that they even staged a protest on Dec. 18, because the store simply sells puppies and kittens.
According to Wade, American puppy mills have moved down to Mexico following restrictive legislation in the states. Now, malnourished, mistreated pets are being funneled into California and other states, she claimed.
Wade and her fellow animal activists called for a ban on the sale of puppies and kittens from commercial breeders in the city. Wade even went as far as to equate commercial breeders with puppy mills.
She, of course, didn’t offer any proof that Animal Kingdom was relying on Mexican puppy mills. There are plenty of allegations, mind you, but no proof yet, that the pet store is relying on inhumane breeders.
Michelle Crook and Adam Tipton, Animal Kingdom’s owners, were at the meeting as well, and said they rely on respected and licensed commercial breeders—not puppy mills. Most of their staff and several customers also showed up to support the business. Tipton told the Sun that his business relies on family-owned operations from California for the pets they sell, and stressed that Animal Kingdom has never sourced animals from “puppy mills.”
Take a deep breath, people, and try to be calm. I’m trying to be condescending here, so pay attention—both sides approached this conversation with a lot of emotion. With an attitude my momma would slap me for.
Animal rights activists are upset about animal euthanasia, and rightly so, but to pile all the world’s faults onto one local pet store, as if selling a puppy or a kitten in a store directly supports every puppy mill in existence, is a bit much. Protesters at the mall on Dec. 18 even passed out fliers with photos of dead animals on them. I’m sure that’s exactly what some kid visiting Santa Claus wants to see! You guys should be put on his naughty list! Especially because it’s against the Town Center’s policy to pass out fliers without permission—which is why the Santa Maria Police Department kicked the protesters out of the mall.
Activists. Sheesh!
Get ready to hear a lot more complaints about the California tiger salamander, because the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approved a recovery plan for the slimy species. It recommended that Santa Barbara County purchase 34,000 acres of habitat to aid in salamander recovery. And the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors just announced a $12 million deficit for next year.
No matter what happens—there’ll be plenty of emotional arguing to go around. Taxes and the environment. Whew! What else would you want to get angry about?
The Canary thinks shelters and the Humane Society are great places to find pets, too. Share your pet stories with her at canary@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Dec 22-29, 2016.