House committee weighs ban on pet shops selling cats, dogs

Just three pet stores in Minnesota sell cats and dogs.

As the pet store industry moves away from selling four-legged friends, Rep. Matt Norris (DFL-Blaine) wants to end those sales entirely at any new pet store that opens in the state and sponsors HF2627 to do so. The bill would grandfather in existing pet stores and require them to be more transparent about the origin of their animals for sale. 

Norris describes it as a compromise between protecting consumers and preventing animal cruelty while not shutting down businesses.

With plenty of differing opinions about bill provisions, the House Commerce Finance and Policy Committee laid the bill over Tuesday for possible omnibus bill inclusion.

Rep. Ethan Cha (DFL-Woodbury) is more concerned about the lack of regulation of backyard dog breeders, which the bill doesn’t address. Rep. Nolan West (R-Blaine) said the bill should focus on transparency because banning the practice in a new pet store takes away the value of the business. And Rep. Leigh Finke (DFL-St. Paul) said the practice should be banned without an exception for existing pet stores and the dwindling number of pet stores selling animals is because Minnesotans don’t want them.

Aaron Zellhoefer, state director at Humane World for Animals, said the problems with pet stores selling dogs include sourcing from puppy mills, deceptive sales tactics, selling sick puppies and predatory lending. But Lauren Calmet, government affairs director with Pet Advocacy Network, said that banning pet store sales would create an underground market for dogs through unregulated channels without any oversight.

Sad stories

In written testimony, dog owners described how they incurred thousands of dollars of veterinarian bills after purchasing puppies who turned out to be sick, some of them dying after being purchased from a pet store.

Speaking to the committee, Megan Helling said her yellow lab puppy from a Minnesota pet store endured a lifetime of medical challenges that included pain management, hip replacement, knee replacement, hydrotherapy and stem cell therapy. The total cost was more than $20,000.

Seeking answers, Helling discovered her dog was born in a South Dakota breeding operation, sold to a broker in Iowa and then sold to a Minnesota pet store. The bill would protect consumers from people trying to deceive them, she said.

Business concerns

Michael Swanson, owner of Four Paws and a Tail in Blaine, said he offers a free first veterinarian exam to puppy buyers and transparency about the puppy’s origin. He complies with state animal welfare laws and has standards for ethical and responsible pet placement.

But the bill would put his business at risk because, although it would be grandfathered in, it would prohibit him from relocating his store or transferring ownership of the business.

“This would turn my business into an unmovable, unsaleable asset. It’s not a path forward. It’s a countdown to closure.”