HomeMy WebLinkAboutGina Cari 11.3.21Testimony for Planning Commission November 3, 2021
Hi there, my name is Gina Cari and I want to thank you for taking on this Pet Retail Sales issue
and listening to my point of view.
I’ve read and researched the Puppyland story and the puppy mill atrocities as well as humane
ordinances. This issue is not occurring just here and many are choosing to pass humane
ordinances all across the nation to resolve this problem.
I want to be on the right side of this issue. I am an animal advocate, especially since they
cannot speak for themselves. So, it is up to us to wade through testimony, information
abounding on the internet and in our own backyards, as well as our neighbors’ experiences.
When I read, “Puppy mills exist because the public is funding them. Read that again. Dogs are
suffering because the public doesn’t realize that the cute puppy in the window is from a puppy
mill.” As city officials, I believe you are doing the right thing by investigating this issue. I hope
you find in your research and investigations the same thing I found. We need to save these
puppies in the only way we can, by outlawing the sale of puppies here in Renton. We need to
protect consumers from predatory loans and potentially sick puppies. We need a Humane
Ordinance.
A Humane Ordinance is needed because it:
1. provides animal welfare and ethical/moral responsible action for pets,
2. provides consumer protection,
3. provides a solution to the root problem of the puppy pipeline, and
4. stops the funding of the puppy mill industry.
For a sample Humane Ordinance, we may look to Olympia or Kitsap County who recently
passed ordinances that had existing pet stores. Also, Bailing Out Benji has a draft that can be
used as a starting point. For me it is easier to edit than create a document from scratch.
Again, thanks so much for taking on this issue and I look forward to hearing your
recommendation to the City Council and Mayor.