Dogs and Pusssies to be banned in San Fran

[SouthernJet]

Wow, talk about intrusion...

S.F. considers banning sale of pets except fish

Carolyn Jones, Chronicle Staff Writer

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Sell a guinea pig, go to jail.

That's the law under consideration by San Francisco's Commission of Animal Control and Welfare. If the commission approves the ordinance at its meeting tonight, San Francisco could soon have what is believed to be the country's first ban on the sale of all pets except fish.

That includes dogs, cats, hamsters, mice, rats, chinchillas, guinea pigs, birds, snakes, lizards and nearly every other critter, or, as the commission calls them, companion animals.

"People buy small animals all the time as an impulse buy, don't know what they're getting into, and the animals end up at the shelter and often are euthanized," said commission Chairwoman Sally Stephens. "That's what we'd like to stop."

San Francisco residents who want a pet would have to go to another city, adopt one from a shelter or rescue group, or find one through the classifieds.

The Board of Supervisors would have final say on the matter. But not before pet store owners unleash a cacophony of howling, squeaking and squawking.

"It's terrible. A pet store that can't sell pets? It's ridiculous," said John Chan, manager of Pet Central on Broadway, which has been in business 30 years. "We'd have to close."

Joe Taylor, bird manager of Animal Connection on Judah Street, called the proposal "ludicrous."

"What difference does it make if you get a parrot at the SPCA or a pet store? If it doesn't work out, in either case, you just bring it back," Taylor said. "This would be terrible for our business."

The idea originated about two years ago, when the commission began looking into a ban on dog and cat sales as a way to discourage puppy and kitten mills. But the city's animal control staff said that excess puppies and kittens are not the problem at the city shelter, thanks to the plethora of rescue groups. In any case, only one or two pet stores in San Francisco sell dogs and cats. The rest stick to small animals.

The real problem, staff said, is hamsters.

People buy the high-strung, nocturnal rodents because they're under the temporary impression that hamsters are cute and cuddly. But the new owners quickly learn that hamsters are, in fact, prone to biting, gnawing through expensive wiring and maniacally racing on their exercise wheels at 2 a.m.

So the animals end up at the shelter. Just about every species has its own rescue group in San Francisco, but no one seems to want hamsters. Hamsters are the No. 1 animal euthanized at the city's shelter, said San Francisco Animal Care and Control director Rebecca Katz.

"It's definitely a concern," she said. "They're an impulse buy, and we do sometimes get tons of them, especially babies."

On Wednesday, the shelter, which is on 15th Street in the Mission District, had six hamsters, nine rabbits, nine mice, nine rats, two guinea pigs, a bowl of goldfish, two birds, a leopard gecko, a bearded dragon and a hermit crab named Charlie.

But those shelter hamsters almost certainly did not originate at a pet store, said Michael Maddox, general counsel for the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council in Washington, D.C.

Studies by UC Davis and the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy have shown that only a small fraction of shelter animals were purchased at pet stores, he said. People who buy animals at pet stores are just as committed, emotionally and financially, to caring for their pets as people who procure pets elsewhere, he said.

"This is an anti-pet proposal from people who oppose the keeping of pets," he said. "If their goal is to ban the ownership of pets entirely, then this is a good first step."

The commission plans to listen to testimony from pet store owners, among others, before voting. Among the items it will consider is the impact on small businesses, whether to allow the sale of feeder rodents for snakes and other reptiles, the sale of fish, owner education, penalties and rescue groups that host adoptions at pet stores.

"We're still in the information-gathering phase," said Commissioner Philip Gerrie, who is sponsoring the proposal. "We're trying to get at the problem of people buying these creatures with the best intentions, but then the reality turns out quite different."

San Francisco's Commission of Animal Control and Welfare meets at 5:30 p.m. today at City Hall, Room 408, to consider an ordinance banning the sale of pets, except for fish, in San Francisco.

13% Percentage of dogs and cats at the San Francisco animal shelter that are euthanized, including aggressive, injured and sick animals.

35% Percentage of dogs and cats in shelters nationwide that are euthanized.

30% Percentage of hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits and other small animals at the San Francisco shelter that are euthanized.

Source: San Francisco Animal Care and Control

[L.S. Dylan]

I would imagine robbing these animals at a shot of getting adopted just ups their chances of being euthanized.

[Bruce Banner]

Just give the hamsters to snake owners to use as food. Each hamster eaten that way will save the life of one pet store rat so it works out even.

[JiFtheOracle]

When is there going to be an earthquake that separates Cali from the rest of the U.S.A.? Most ass backward state in the country.

[Vicious89x]

When is there going to be an earthquake that separates Cali from the rest of the U.S.A.? Most ass backward state in the country.

I'd prefer it to absolutely destroy the state of Orygone. Once I leave.

[Falcon63]

I'd prefer it to absolutely destroy the state of Orygone. Once I leave.

At least they speak English! Hopefully Florida sinks before either of those two.

[CTM]

When is there going to be an earthquake that separates Cali from the rest of the U.S.A.? Most ass backward state in the country.

still smarting over prop 8 eh?

[Vicious89x]

still smarting over prop 8 eh?

Twinks have rights too.

[Greenranger]

So its illegal to have a dog in SF, but its legal to be an illegal immigrant in SF. The damn city is like one big mental disorder.

[SouthernJet]

So its illegal to have a dog in SF, but its legal to be an illegal immigrant in SF. The damn city is like one big mental disorder.

Never thought of it that way...

[MadBacker Prime]

Twinks have rights too.

The Chinese??

They were famous for their opium dens back in the day.

[Sperm Edwards]

People in SF don't know how to properly care for their hamsters?

My head is exploding...too many jokes.

[Bruce Banner]

The Chinese??

They were famous for their opium dens back in the day.

Twinks are jailbait for queers. Not even close to meaning Chinese people.

[RutgersJetFan]

Not for nothing but I definitely understand the want to get puppy mills out of your city.

[CTM]

Twinks are jailbait for queers. Not even close to meaning Chinese people.

Crusher should make that jif's status.. lol

[JiFtheOracle]

Crusher should make that jif's status.. lol

ifukn8u

Muffin top should make your's - gheyhomofag that nobody likes.

[Vicious89x]

ifukn8u

Muffin top should make your's - gheyhomofag that nobody likes.

Are you his co-mod or something?

[CTM]

Are you his co-mod or something?

yes... in the same way that lewinsky was clinton's co-presdent..

[Vicious89x]

yes... in the same way that lewinsky was clinton's co-presdent..

So you're saying JiF has big hips. That's not nice.

[villain_the_foe]

At least they speak English! Hopefully Florida sinks before either of those two.

It depends. If Lebron goes to Miami that'll even stop the oil spill. lol.

[MadBacker Prime]

Twinks are jailbait for queers. Not even close to meaning Chinese people.

Actually very close that is the shortened version of Twinkie.

A racist term that calls the Chinese wanna be whites, yellow on the outside, white on the inside.

Just so you know, and knowing is half the battle.

[Sperm Edwards]

Actually very close that is the shortened version of Twinkie.

A racist term that calls the Chinese wanna be whites, yellow on the outside, white on the inside.

Just so you know, and knowing is half the battle.

Then you should start to do some of that knowing on your own. Two different words aren't the same because you don't personally recognize them as being different.

That, and Asians use that term a hell of a lot more than non-Asians.

Which really brings up the true question. What term do we use for gay jailbait if they're Asian?

[SouthernJet]

Then you should start to do some of that knowing on your own. Two different words aren't the same because you don't personally recognize them as being different.

That, and Asians use that term a hell of a lot more than non-Asians.

Which really brings up the true question. What term do we use for gay jailbait if they're Asian?

su-she

[JerryK]

su-she

That's a female asian lawyer.

Btw: This thread is defunct. We can still hate SanFran because it's our duty, but in this instance the board represented the people and did its job:

SAN FRANCISCO -- San Francisco officials have tabled a measure that would have banned the sale of pets, except fish, throughout the city.

During a hearing that ran late into the night on Thursday, supporters of the ban said animal shelters are overrun by people who buy hamsters, parrots, snakes and other animals from pet stores on impulse, then regret the purchase.

Under the proposal, San Francisco residents would have had to go outside the city to purchase pets.

...I didn't think any of our fair and balanced posters would have worked hard to let people know the measure failed.

[MadBacker Prime]

Then you should start to do some of that knowing on your own. Two different words aren't the same because you don't personally recognize them as being different.

That, and Asians use that term a hell of a lot more than non-Asians.

Which really brings up the true question. What term do we use for gay jailbait if they're Asian?

Cheerio?

It's Yellow with a hole.

[Bruce Banner]

Actually very close that is the shortened version of Twinkie.

A racist term that calls the Chinese wanna be whites, yellow on the outside, white on the inside.

Just so you know, and knowing is half the battle.

I've only heard asians call people bananas, I never heard the term twinkie in association with asians.

San Francisco is more associated with queers than Asians. No reason to assume the joke was about the Chinese.

[Thai Jet]

Is there no end to this insanity ?

[SouthernJet]

Is there no end to this insanity ?

sadly, no.

these PCers seem to have a new lease on life lately

[JerryK]

these PCers...

This offends Macs.