OLYMPIA – Rep. April Berg, D-Mill Creek, recently introduced a consumer protection and animal welfare bill, House Bill 1424, intended to end the puppy mill to pet store pipeline and limit pet stores from offering predatory financing.
House Bill 1424 will end the financial incentive for retail pet stores to collaborate with puppy mills by preventing them from having ownership interest in animals offered for adoption, or for receiving a fee for showcasing adoptable animals.
This legislation will not impact pet stores operating in the interests of their customers and the animals in their care nor will it impact responsible, humane breeders. Although Washington already has strong regulations as it relates to breeders, they do not prevent the sale of puppy mill puppies because pet stores import puppies from out of state over which Washington has no jurisdiction.
House Bill 1424 will also require retail pet stores to collaborate with an animal care and control agency or animal rescue group to offer space to showcase dogs and cats for adoption and includes regulations for the protection of both the animal’s welfare and those applying to adopt.
“We know that puppies are coming into Washington from out-of-state puppy mills and being sold to consumers who are not informed of their origin,” said Berg. “My concern is with the lifelong health effects caused by inhumane and unhealthy breeding practices at puppy mills that not only hurts animals but causes a financial and emotional burden to people who sought a healthy, happy companion and were lured into veterinary bills and heartache.”
In 2019, the Legislature banned puppy selling pet stores from leasing pets to consumers. However, stores still offer financing using third party companies, including providing high-interest loans that are predatory and exploitative to consumers. According to an exposé published by the Washington Post last September, these pet store loans can charge up to nearly 200% in interest, all for an animal who may have chronic health issues due to their breeding history or being maltreated in puppy mills.
To address this issue, House Bill 1424 includes provisions to restrict leasing, installment programs, and loans for the purchase of a dog or a cat.
“These predatory practices can leave owners in despair, in thousands, or even tens of thousands of dollars of debt, with crippling credit scores, and a sick or dying dog,” said Berg. “We need to hold businesses accountable when they engage in predatory behavior and sell consumers a faulty product, which in this case is a puppy from a puppy mill.”