The proposal to ban the sales of dogs and cats in pet stores in Cobb County was withdrawn from consideration at today’s meeting of the Cobb County Board of Commissioners.
Commissioner Bob Ott broke the tie from the previous meeting, in which commissioners JoAnn Birrell and Keli Gambrill voted to withdraw the code amendment, and Lisa Cupid and Chairman Mike Boyce voted in opposition to withdrawal.
After the vote, Boyce told community members in the audience that even though the motion was withdrawn, advocates would still be able to speak during the public hearing.
Code Amendment 10-135, entitled Prohibition on the Sale of Dogs and Cats at Pet Stores, can be read at the link below.
Supporters of the ban showed up in force at both the previous hearing and the one this morning.
Like many other Cobb County Residents I was very disappointed that this code amendment proposal was withdrawn. Our county should have banned the sale of cats and dogs in pet stores and included parrots as well. Majority of Americans own pets, primarily dogs and cats but parrots make-up the third largest pet community. The parrots shouldn’t be left out.
There are those that agree that this law should remain on the State and Federal levels. However, at those levels, citizens, armed with only a vote, have trouble competing with deep-pocketed corporations and their lobbyists, and special-interest groups. This creates a climate where politicians set policies that favor corporations over voters and their pets. For instance, how can anyone with a conscience truly agree with the law that a breeding kennel can legally keep dozens, even hundreds, of dogs in cages for their entire lives, as long as the dogs are just given the basics of food, water and shelter? That is not humane. As a society we are better than that. It is a fact that pet stores can still be profitable, even if they don’t sell animals. Our pets are living, breathing entities that also need laws to protect them. Especially since the Department of Agriculture, who monitors Pet Stores, has had to cut its budget and eliminate 18 full-time vacancies, 4 part-time vacancies and 6 employees. This means the department in charge of regulating and inspecting pet stores will have even less time to do so and the losers will be the animals for sale in these stores.
I guess animals have no rights in Cobb County. I emailed the commissioners the following, which apparently won’t affect them whatsoever:
write to express how disappointed and disheartened I was to learn that you voted to remove from consideration the most important section of chapter 10. My disappointment was only exceeded by my shock, as I never would have thought that a group of such intelligent, elected individuals would favor politics over the humane treatment of animals. To use the taking point of state versus municipal regulation is nothing but a clever ruse to mask your unwillingness to take an important stand in an important matter. I wholeheartedly urge you to google “Petland Kenessaw” tonight and see if you can still sleep after reading the results. I expected better and the animals deserved it. What a shame.