Animal Welfare Community Pet Store Proclamation

United Against Cruelty, Committed to a Humane Model

The Southern Arizona Animal Welfare Community (The Community) stands united in support of a humane animal adoption model and unified against the sale of puppies or kittens from a commercial pet store or an online puppy broker. To that end, The Community will not partner or do business with, or accept money from, any Arizona commercial pet store operation that sells puppies or kittens.

Commercial pet stores are known to misrepresent themselves as “rescues” and/or the animals in their care as “rescue” animals. Commercial pet stores also solicit legitimate rescues and shelters to partner with them. Their motives are duplicitous, as they intentionally mislead consumers and manipulate public perception with the end goal of selling as many puppies as possible to maximize profit.

Commercial pet stores perpetuate the systemic problems caused by importing animals into Arizona from large-scale breeding facilities and license-exempt breeding facilities commonly known as “puppy mills” or “backyard breeders.” Although there is no legal definition of the term “puppy mill“ or “kitty mill,” it is generally known as an operation where profits are placed above the physical and mental welfare of the parents and the puppies. It is estimated that there are at least 10,000 puppy mills in the United States, fewer than 3,000 of which are regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Community believes that consumers are better served by adopting from a shelter or a legitimate rescue an animal that has been altered, vaccinated, and evaluated.

Tucson, Phoenix, and Tempe previously passed commercial pet store bans and implemented rescue-only models, only to have the state legislature and Gov. Doug Ducey in 2016 override these ordinances and effectively silence the voice of local government and voting constituents where some of these stores operate.

The Community is also concerned about the detrimental impact on consumers of pet store financing and leasing tactics. It is easy for unsuspecting consumers who cannot afford to pay thousands of dollars to fall prey when their hearts are stolen by cute puppies in the window. Pet stores exploit consumers with high interest, predatory loans. Ultimately, consumers may pay significantly more than the already-bloated sale prices when exorbitant interest is factored in. When consumers default on payment, pet stores threaten to repossess the pet without consideration for the pet's well-being or emotional ties. Puppies are treated as a mere commodity.

The Southern Arizona Animal Welfare Community, by uniting in solidarity, commit to animals in our care, the exploited animals within the puppy mill industry, consumer protection and community well-being, and a unified front that speaks to the need and desire for a statewide humane adoption model that eradicates puppy mill operations including commercial pet stores that help keep this cruel industry thriving.

(Written by Don Scott on behalf of Arizona shelters and rescues as well as members of the public opposed to puppy mill operations, and who support a humane economy.)