what's your take

Yes, you read that right. Under consideration tonight by San Francisco's Commission of Animal Control and Welfare is an ordinance that would make it illegal to sell pets within city limits! This stems from a growing number of animals of all kinds abandoned or in shelters facing euthanization. While I most definitely agree with cutting down on puppy mill dogs, for example, this law would ban the sale of any "companion animal" — including dogs, cats, hamsters, mice, rats, chinchillas, guinea pigs, birds, snakes, and lizards — other than rabbits or ferrets (which are already illegal) and fish.
Believed to be the country's first such ban, on the one hand I think of the poor conditions of some animals in pet stores, and on the other I'm imagining a "black market" for small mammals.

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Should Selling Pets Be Illegal: Yay or No Way?

Yay. I agree with this proposed ban.

No way. I'll share why I disagree in the comments below.

Admittedly, I laughed when I saw this commercial on Super Bowl Sunday. The visual of a dog getting revenge on a taunting human hit home, but then I began to analyze the moral. Is it all in good fun or does it show that these collars are too cruel for a human (by his dramatic shocking) . . . but not too horrible to still use on pets?

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What's Your Take: Doritos' Anti-Bark Collar Commercial?

Sends the right message

Sends the wrong message

This story begins with a pooch (not shown here) who was tossed out the window from six stories up by an insane person her owner. She was rescued by the ASPCA's Animal Cops, treated for her broken bones and other injuries by shelter's hospital, and named Oreo.

About five months later, she began acting aggressively toward people and other dogs in the NYC shelter and was set to be put down. However, another organization, Pets Alive, wanted to see if they could help her; their request was denied and the pooch was put down on Nov. 13 of last year. Based on this decision, Sen. Thomas Duane and Assembly Member Micah Kellner introduced "Oreo's Law," a statewide bill to prevent shelters from killing dogs and cats if a qualified 501(c)3 animal rescue group is willing to take them.

While I certainly don't want to see any animal suffer (or die), this does raise some questions for me — namely, what happens if the rescue then cannot "fix" or home the animal? Do you have an opinion about this legislation? Share your reasoning in the comments below.

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What's Your Take: Oreo's Law?

Yay. I agree with Oreo's Law.

Nay. I disagree with Oreo's Law.

Hmm. I appreciate the sentiment but I'm not yet convinced.

Imagine your surprise if you picked up a dog from the kennel, only to find it's not your dog at all! When I first read about this unlikely story, I instantly dismissed it. I know North (and his crazy antics) and can't see how I could ever bring home a different dog and not realize it.

Well, in this story, neither black lab was picked up by her actual "parents" — LaiLa (seen here) was retrieved by the owner's niece and Bella by the owner's parents. When eventually reunited, they suspected something was wrong but assumed it was just an angry response to their prolonged absences. After a microchip scan, the real identities came out and the rightful swap happened.

Source: Stacey Peterson

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What's Your Take: Could You Take Home the Wrong Dog?

Definitely

Possibly

Unlikely

While traveling with my parents several years back, they made some "grown-up" friends at the resort. Later, running into one woman by the pool, my mom introduced me. The woman's response upon hearing my name: "Ohhh, that's my dog's name."

She was lucky I didn't push her into the water. Anyway, my pooch has a non-traditional human name but I'm not opposed to "people" names, as long as I don't have a bad association with that same one. P.S., after you vote, don't forget to play our Wacky Cat Name game to see if you get any name inspiration!

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What's Your Take: "Human" Names For Pets?

All traditional "human" names are off limits.

Names of people I know are off limits.

No name is off limits.