A few months ago, Orange County, Florida, commissioners wrestled with a tough decision: Whether to ban the retail sale of cats, dogs and rabbits as pets. Commissioners heard hours of testimony that included photos of sick and dying animals — including some that sold for thousands of dollars — and data demonstrating that local stores were in fact selling animals from breeders documented to have multiple violations of federal and state animal-welfare rules. Mayor Jerry Demings said he received 1,000 emails urging the ban of pet sales.
Commissioners listened, and then they voted to shut down retail pet sales by June 2022. Because retail pet sales are also banned in Lake, Osceola and Seminole counties, it makes it far more likely that would-be pet owners will seek out one of the thousands of animals available for adoption at local shelters and animal rescues.
It was the right decision for this community, made thoughtfully and with great care.
