Toronto bans the sale of cats and dogs in pet stores

How much is that doggie in the window?” will soon become “Hey, why is there a doggie in the window? You’re under arrest.”

Becoming the second Canadian city to do so, Toronto has banned the sale of any dogs and cats (including those from certified breeders, humane societies and shelters) in pet stores. Richmond, BC, was the first in 2010.

This is a step in the right direction, and good for Toronto.

The only qualm I have with this is many dogs and cats from shelters and the SPCA who would otherwise not have been noticed may not find homes as quickly. On the other hand, these animals will be in a position to be exercised and properly cared for in the aforementioned animal welfare-focused centers; in a pet store, business comes before the animal. There is also the option of setting up adoption centers in higher traffic areas like malls and plazas. We have cat adoption centres set up in malls in Niagara Falls and Welland, and though I don’t have the exact statistics, I’ve heard that they have made a positive impact on Welland’s adoptions. I would imagine the same is true in the Falls.

And why not adopt? When you adopt an SPCA animal (and depending the shelter, this may be true too), you give a home to an animal who is vaccinated, microchipped, and spayed or neutered, preventing certain diseases and the overpopulation of homeless animals. If that’s not convincing enough, the dollar difference in costs of adoption VS. buying a cat or dog from a store or even getting a “free” dog or cat is staggering.