*Originally published July 13, 2020 in the Milford Daily News
This legislative session, some lawmakers in Boston, expressing concerns about conditions where professionally raised pets are bred and raised, filed a bill that nonsensically would ban pet shops from selling purpose-bred pets from regulated U.S. breeders and instead require them to sell only randomly sourced pets from animal rescues or shelters.
Massachusetts state law already prohibits pet shops from doing business with violators of federal or state licensing and inspection laws. There are also consumer protections in place for those who purchase puppies from licensed facilities. The bill failed, but proponents will likely try to have their way again next year.