Senate Bill 312, Assembly Bill 506 and Assembly Bill 519 aim to protect consumers and dogs from pet industry’s deceptive practices
SACRAMENTO, CA — This week the Legislature passed three bills to curb consumer fraud and animal abuse in pet sales.
In response to an award-winning, multi-part investigation into the puppy market in California by the Los Angeles Times, Senator Tom Umberg and Assemblymembers Steve Bennett and Marc Berman authored legislation to close loopholes undermining California law, and further protect consumers from fraudulent breeders. All three bills received overwhelming bi-partisan support in both the Assembly and the Senate, and are now heading to the Governor.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued his support for all three measures as part of safeguarding Californians from fraudulent and misleading practices, writing to the legislature that these measures are an “important step in shutting down fraudulent pet sales, protecting consumers from exploitation, and advancing California’s commitment to the humane treatment of animals.”
Senator Thomas J. Umberg (D-Santa Ana), author of Senate Bill 312, said, “As chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and a longtime rescue dog owner, I was deeply disturbed by the Los Angeles Times’ reporting on the widespread fraud and cruelty in the puppy trade. For too long, many of us assumed that greater awareness and advocacy had largely ended the puppy mill business in California, but it was clear more needed to be done. I was proud to author SB 312 as part of this important package, and I am even prouder today that my colleagues have voted overwhelmingly to send it to Governor Newsom.”
SB 312 mandates that dog importers submit health certificates electronically to the California Department of Food & Agriculture within 10 days of shipment and requires those certificates to be made publicly available. This health certificate information is crucial for individual consumers to confirm information about their dog and is also helpful to humane law enforcement agencies as they work to investigate fraud and malfeasance.
“This is for my beloved senior pup, Annie, and for the animals that await their families,” said Assemblymember Steve Bennett (D-Oxnard). “With this bill package, California is improving the adoption process for both families and animals. These bills (AB 506, AB 519, and SB 312) ensure that predatory out of state breeders are no longer able to take advantage of California families looking to bring a furry family member home. I look forward to the Governor’s response and am grateful to my colleagues and the LA Times for highlighting this issue and delivering good government solutions.”
Assemblymember Bennett’s AB 506 voids contracts between California consumers and pet sellers that require a nonrefundable deposit and/or fail to disclose the original source or existing medical conditions of a dog or cat prior to sale. The bill also requires sellers to return money to the buyers within 30 days if the contract is voided.
The third bill of the Stop the Puppy Mill Pipeline is Assembly Bill 519, authored by Assemblymember Marc Berman, (D-Menlo Park), Chair of the Assembly Business & Professions Committee. AB 519 ends pet brokering in California by defining “brokers” as any person or business that makes a profit by selling animals bred and raised by another, and prohibits said people from selling or “adopting out” pets for a profit.
“As Chair of the Assembly Business and Professions Committee, and as a dog dad myself, I am proud of California’s continued efforts to prioritize animal welfare in our state and protect consumers from being deceived by cruel breeder mills,” said Assemblymember Marc Berman. “This strong package of bills will ensure oversight, transparency, and accountability in animal sales, supporting the well-being of both pets and pet owners alike.”
The Times’ investigation found that “truckloads of dogs from profit-driven mass breeders pour into California every year from the Midwest, and then resold by people claiming to be small, local home breeders.” Misleading marketing tactics, predatory financial behaviors, and a gap in regulations are allowing these online brokers to take advantage of consumers and allowing puppy mills to continue to reach Californians when searching for a new companion.
“Consumers deserve complete transparency about the flood of puppies entering our state—this is not just about protecting people from unhealthy pets, but about stopping the cruel pipeline from puppy mills,” said Dr. Gary Weitzman, president and CEO of San Diego Humane Society. “These bills are critical to closing dangerous loopholes in California’s pet sales ban, and with Governor Newsom’s signature on them, he can help shut down the inhumane practices that exploit animals for profit.”
“By prohibiting the sale of puppies by third-party brokers, California will solidify its position as a trailblazer in animal welfare, building on the existing state law to prevent the puppy mill pipeline from using one of the most deceptive techniques to ship sick, cruelly bred puppies into the state and profit off of unknowing consumers,” said Brittany Benesi, senior legislative director for the ASPCA, Western division. “We are grateful to Assemblymember Berman for championing this legislation, as well as Senator Umberg and Assemblymember Bennett for their leadership on companion bills that will further increase transparency in pet sales to better protect California consumers and ensure that bad actors cannot profit from cruelty.”
At a time when California shelters are overflowing with adoptable puppies, kittens, dogs and cats, SB 312, AB 506 and AB 519 will provide transparency in the sales process and protect both consumers and animals alike.
Puppy mill B-roll link: https://aspca.box.com/s/usbwai1syix45irnhfnosezfrtn91ufq