STOP SELLING PETS TO RESEARCH DEALERS

Michigan allows companion animals to be sold to Class B Dealers. Not all pounds or shelters tell citizens that they sell to Class B Dealers, in fact, some have openly lied about it. We know the following sell live dogs and cats to Class B Dealers or to universities:

City of Inkster,

Ingham County Animal Control Shelter,

Jackson County Animal Control,

Midland County Animal Control,

Eaton County Animal Control,

Mecosta County Animal Control,

Montcalm County Animal Control

Montmorency County Animal Control,

Gratiot County Animal Control,

Osceola County Animal Control.

Why is this wrong?

Some Class B Dealers have been caught stealing pets from back yards, lying to people to get free to good home pets and picking strays up from the streets. Why? Because there is money and lots of money to be made selling pets to be used by hospitals, companies testing products and other research institutions. Dealers get animals for free or for as low as $10 from the shelter and then resell them for hundreds of dollars. From the Leash to the Laboratory

Animal Control shelters that sell animals to Class B Dealers lose public confidence. Members of the community are not willing to take stray animals into these shelters, sometimes leaving the animals to run the streets or to live in neglectful and abusive situations. Sometimes, the staff suffers from lack of compassion and commits atrocities on the animals. Sometimes, animals who have wonderful families looking for them, never get home because an animal control officer decides the animal should go to a B Dealer instead of back to his loving family.

Legislation

Sadly, the Michigan State Senate bills to end pound seizure didn't make it out of committee during the last session. We will be working with legislators to get this important legislation reintroduced in the Michigan Legislature in 2005.

On February 17th, Legislation was introduced in the United States Senate that will prevent Class B Dealers from selling "random source" pets to research institutions. For more information please visits: Jethro's Place Legislation Information Page.