Recently, my city council members in Encinitas, California, unanimously passed an ordinance to ban the sale of dogs and cats in pet stores in our city. Currently, there are no pet stores in Encinitas that sell dogs and cats, but the ordinance was passed to prevent one from moving in. We are a very animal-friendly city: A few years ago, our city council members passed an ordinance that banned the display of animals for entertainment—no animal-abusing circuses will be coming here!

It’s easy to see why the council members were all in agreement on this issue. Pet stores are notorious for obtaining the animals they sell from puppy mills, which churn out litter after litter without any concern for the millions of animals who will die in animal shelters as a result. It’s standard practice for puppy mills to keep animals in cramped, crude, and filthy conditions without proper veterinary care or socialization.

The chambers were packed on the night of the vote. The mayor and many council members said that they had received so many e-mails on this proposed ban that their computers crashed! An officer from the San Diego Humane Society got up and gave his support to the proposed ban, and dozens of people talked about how dogs suffer in puppy mills and how animal shelters are overflowing with dogs who came from pet stores.

Our mayor discussed how our local shelter interviews potential adopters to make sure that they’re a good fit for the animal they are considering adopting, unlike pet stores, which typically sell animals to anyone who hands over a credit card. She also shared her own experience with adopting a companion bunny. Everyone on the council spoke in favor of the ban and then voted unanimously for it.

With this decision, Encinitas joins about 80 cities around the country that now ban the sale of dogs and cats in pet stores. It’s a growing movement—maybe your city could be next!

With millions of dogs and cats (including purebreds) dying every year in animal shelters for lack of a good home, there’s simply no reason for animals to be bred and sold in the pet trade. Without pet stores, the financial incentive for puppy mills and catteries would disappear, dogs and cats would stop being used as breeding machines, and more deserving animals waiting in shelters would find loving homes.

I’d love to see Encinitas’ ban expanded to include the sale of all animals, including rabbits, birds, mice, and reptiles. We’ve taken one big step forward for dogs and cats. The next step is hopefully coming soon!