Pet adoption advocates explain importance of new bill – Spectrum News

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The Cobb’s Hill Dog Park is a daily venture for Connor Donsky and his 1-year-old dog, Saul.
“Coming here a lot, you know all the other regulars that come here and their dogs,” Donsky said. “And then your dog becomes friends with their dog, and they know each other so they immediately run around and play.”
He adopted Saul just last year and is thankful for the relationship they have today.
“It’s just me at the house, so there’s always someone there with me,” Donsky said. “He’s my shadow at all times around the house. And we’ll go off and do things. We’ll come here, we’ll go to North Ponds Park, I’ll take him swimming, I’ll take him for walks and car rides. He’s my guy.”
And soon, those looking for pets may need to consider adoption seriously after state lawmakers passed the Puppy Mill Pipeline bill, meant to target large-scale breeding operations.
“We’ve all seen horrific pictures shared on the internet and from larger animal welfare organizations, about pets who are living in dirty, filthy cages, they’re not socialized, they’re bred over and over again,” said Adrienne McHargue, vice president of Lollypop Farm Humane Society.
If signed into law, the bill would ban the retail sale of dogs, cats and rabbits. This means pet stores would no longer be an option, and though opponents argue this would hurt small businesses and legitimate breeders, McHargue says it’s about a larger issue.
“It is a big push, and let me just say that there are responsible breeders out there,” McHargue said. “This is not against breeding in general… what we’re trying to do and what we support is trying to get rid of that aspect of breeding that is about the money and not about the individual pet.”
And while McHargue has a clear stake in the matter, she genuinely encourages everyone to consider adoption.
“It’s a good thing to do, it makes you feel good that you know you’re giving a new home to a pet that didn’t have one. And certainly you can live a happy, long life together as a family,” McHargue said.
Saul is just one example of a pet that needed rescuing.
“He was abandoned with his littermates in Virginia, I think,” Donsky said. “And he was rescued down there and brought up to Buffalo.”
So Connor will always be a big fan of adoption too.
“There’s a lot of good dogs at rescues that just need homes and if you can go that route and save them versus going to a pet store and getting them, then that’s always a win-win,” Donsky said.

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