The city named after the patron saint of animals is considering a widespread ban on the sales of pets in an attempt to curb animal cruelty. The Humane Pet Acquisition Proposal, which would ban the sales of all pets from dogs and cats to snakes, parrots, mice, rats and goldfish, has been recommended by the Animal Control Commission. Some representatives of the ban claim that it is “by far the most radical ban [San Francisco] has seen” and that it would devastate the current $50 billion a year sales industry. Animal advocates say that the proposal will save the lives and suffering of animals, as well as taxpayer money. Advocates argue that the current climate of pet stores promotes the impulse buying of animals that has for years resulted in the neglect, abandonment and overcrowding of the city's shelters. The bill was originally proposed to help reduce the profits of puppy mills and kitten factories, but advocates have expanded it to cover pets from feeder mice to guppies, stating that animals like hamsters are euthanized in shelters more frequently than cats and dogs. Animals exempt from the sales-ban include those intended for eventual human consumption, such as live fish, crustaceans and poultry. Proponents of the proposal hope that the ban will not only reduce the amount of money funneling into companies that profit off of mass-producing pets, but also that it will change the mentality of a culture that views animals as commodities. They argue that San Francisco could pave the road for valuing animals as more than just objects, hopefully encouraging adults and children alike to more thoroughly contemplate their decision to adopt a pet. San Francisco, which has taken similar leadership in implementing bans on plastic grocery bags and telephone directories, was voted the most humane city for animals by the Humane Society of the United States. BM
