Sen. Lee Anderson, Grovetown Republican, talks about a bill that would limit where breeders can sell dogs, cats and rabbits in Georgia. Jill Nolin/Georgia Recorder
A bill designed to make it harder for unscrupulous breeders to entice animal lovers into an impulse purchase is now on the governor’s desk.
The measure, House Bill 331, would ban the practice of selling dogs, cats and rabbits in parking lots, along the roadside, on sidewalks, at seasonal flea markets and other similar outdoor areas that tend to be hotspots for unlicensed breeders who prioritize profit over the wellbeing of the animals in their care.
The Senate sponsor, Grovetown Republican Sen. Lee Anderson, said the bill targets “bad actors” in Georgia.
“We need this bill so we can make sure all our pets are taken care of, and also it protects the companies that already do it the right way,” Anderson said, referring to breeders.
Supporters of the bill say it will reduce opportunities for illicit pet sales, which they argue is commonly tied with other illegal activity.
The original sponsor, Concord Republican Rep. Beth Camp, pitched the measure as both a consumer and animal protection bill, since animals purchased from illegitimate breeders often turn out not to be as advertised.
“These dogs oftentimes end up getting dumped, and they get dumped at animal shelters, which cost our counties money every single day. And it’s just heartbreaking,” Camp said recently to state senators.
Breeders would still be able to sell dogs, cats and rabbits from their home, business, a veterinarian’s office or other designated locations, like outside a police department.
“These individuals do not allow people to come to where these dogs live because they don’t want anyone to see where these animals live, because they’re living in deplorable, substandard conditions for anything that’s alive,” Camp said.
If approved, someone who violates the measure would be fined $100 for the first offense, $250 for the second and $500 for the third or subsequent offense. Each animal sold in violation of the measure would represent a separate offense, including if multiple animals were sold on the same day.
In January, the state Department of Agriculture seized 136 dogs from a puppy mill in south Georgia.
The bill may be serious, but it also brought a little levity to the day.
Anderson rested his case Friday by saying a vote for his bill would help keep Lt. Gov. Burt Jones out of the “doghouse.” Jones’ wife runs an animal rescue organization.
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