The Ohio state legislature is considering an amendment to an unrelated tax bill which purports to establish humane regulations for pet stores in the state. In fact, this amendment is being pushed through the legislature by Petland, a Ohio-based chain of pet stores notorious for its history of purchases of animals from puppy mills and other disreputable and inhumane animal breeders.

The Pet Store Animal Sales Amendment (Lines 1-169) to HB 166 would allow pet stores to continue selling puppies from puppy mill breeding facilities, regardless of local ordinances prohibiting such sales. It would strip Ohio cities and towns of the power to enact more humane regulations and ordinances regarding the sale of animals in their communities. It would permit pet stores to sell animals obtained from a "qualified breeder," but provides an extremely lax, unenforceable, and ineffective standard for determining who a "qualified breeder" may be. This legislation should offend every caring pet owner in Ohio. We urge the Ohio state legislature to defeat the proposed legislation. Should the legislation pass, we urge Governor Kasich to veto it.