Gov. Christie signs toughest-in-nation pet store bill

Two months ago Gov. Christie chose the Iowa farm lobby over New Jersey voters when he vetoed a bill the majority of New Jersey residents supported banning pig gestation crates.

Last week he listened to animal lovers in his state when he signed the "Pet Store Disclosure" bill.

The new law, which animal welfare advocates say is the toughest in the nation, requires pet stores to make available information - including inspection reports - about the breeders of the puppies they sell and forbid stores from buying puppies from breeders cited for "severe violations" by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

"After years of dedication to this legislation, we are pleased this measure to protect the purchaser from buying sick pets for their families is now law," said bill sponsor Sen. Jim Holzapfel. "By requiring a pet store to disclose the history at the point of sale, we can give consumers the opportunity to research the breeder and make an informed decision on where to make their purchase."

The bill was opposed by Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC), a D.C.-based trade group that represents breeders, which claimed it would limit a buyer's "freedom of choice." Ed Sayres, the new president of PIJAC, was the former president of the ASPCA,which lobbied hard in favor of the bill.

Under Sayres, the ASPCA produced a report iwith graphic images linking pet stores to some of the worst puppy mills in the nation.

The Humane Society of the United States, which also fought for the bill, has been working to transition pet stores from selling puppy mill puppies to no longer sell commercially-bred dogs and to offer adoptions of shelter dogs. More than 70 localities nationwide, including Miami, Chicago and Los Angeles, have banned the retail sale of commercially-raised puppies from puppy mills. it said.

Janice Fisher, puppy mill awareness coordinator for Friends of Animals United New Jersey (FAUN-NJ), which has been working for two years on the bill, thanked Christie, saying the bill will "enable New Jersey consumers to learn the source of pet store puppies before they make a purchase."

The bill has implications for Pennsylvania's commercial dog breeders who sell to NJ pet stores. A similar bill was introduced in the Pennsylvania legislature last year but was unsuccessful.