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Home My WebLink AboutJessie Friedmann 8.18.211 Danielle Marshall From:Jessie Friedmann <jessie.friedmann@gmail.com> Sent:Wednesday, August 18, 2021 7:08 PM To:Danielle Marshall; Angie Mathias Subject:Humane Pet Store Ordinance Testimony Follow Up Flag:Flag for follow up Flag Status:Completed Hi Danielle and Angela, Below is my testimony from this evening, along with supporting evidence. Would you mind passing along to commissioners? Thanks so much for facilitating! Jessie Good Evening Commissioners, my name is Jessie Friedmann and I am a Renton resident here to encourage a strong humane pet store ordinance. I moved to Earlington Hill about a year ago with my partner, and he and I have loved getting to know and explore our Renton community. Unfortunately, having to drive by Puppyland sign twirlers almost daily has been incredibly depressing. In thinking both about the future of this store and my future in this city, I’m hopeful that Renton leadership chooses to make decisions based on evidence instead of anecdotes. The facts here are fairly clear, based on findings from animal welfare and veterinary experts. The findings are this:    According  to the Humane Society, USDA accreditation is not enough to ensure that animals are  bred in a way that is humane.     Second, dogs sold from pet stores, like Puppyland, experience worse health outcomes, and more frequent  behavioral problems. A quick Google search shows recent parvo outbreaks, premature death outcomes, and research findings on heightened aggression in pet store puppies from sources including the  Humane  Society, the  American  Journal for Veterinary Medicine, and even  Psychology  Today. CAUTION: This email originated from outside the City of Renton. Do not click links, reply or open attachments unless you know the content is safe. 2     Lastly, as has been demonstrated tonight, Puppyland engages in predatory financial practices, including  mandatory non-disclosure agreements, exorbitant interest rates, and inflated costs.  What wasn’t spoken to today were the 71,362 animals that entered shelters in Washington state in 2020, 13 thousand of which were in King County alone. This doesn’t even touch on the 1,498 animals that were euthanized. Often, when pets are surrendered it is because of behavioral problems. Given that dogs from pet stores often have higher rates of behavioral problems, the existence of these stores increases the number of animals in shelters - many of which will be difficult to adopt and more likely to be put down. I appreciate you all taking the time to hear community feedback tonight. I urge you to continue to do your own research on this topic, and listen to experts over non-local business owners. Your work can make Renton a better place to live for all of us. -- Jessie Friedmann