Pet stores restricted to selling only rescue animals in San Francisco

Pet stores in San Francisco can only sell dogs and cats that come from rescue organizations or animal shelters under new rules passed unanimously by the city’s Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.

>> Read more trending news  

Supervisor Katy Tang sponsored the legislation to amend the city's health code to restrict the sale of animals of unknown origins.

“Dogs and cats sold in pet stores often come from inhumane puppy and kitten mills that churn out animals with no regard for their health or well-being,” Tang said in a Facebook post.

Yesterday the Board of Supervisors unanimously supported legislation I sponsored to ban the sale of non-rescue cats and...

Posted by Katy Tang on Wednesday, February 15, 2017

The new rules also ban the sale of dogs and cats younger than eight weeks and require pet stores to keep records that prove where the animals came from, according to the San Francisco Examiner.

“We really do believe that it will send a great message not just in San Francisco but across California, nationwide and, hopefully, worldwide,” Tang told the Examiner.

Ultimately the city hopes the ban will help reduce the number of puppy mills and lower the number of animals in shelters.

About the Author