To the Editor,

Recently, in Richmond, BC, Canada a ban on puppy sales was placed on local pet shops. This means that pet stores in this Richmond are no longer legally allowed to sell puppies. This is following a similar law put into place in Richmond earlier this year banning the sale of rabbits. Both of these laws were unanimously approved by the city council in response to the city being overrun with abandoned pets.  

Many argue that banning the sale of an animal in only one town will have no effect because residents can simply go to a neighboring town to purchase pets. However, I argue that this is simply the first step in the right direction towards ending animal abandonment. By forcing people to work more to purchase a pet, for example by making them find a pet store in a neighboring town and then travel to it, this should reduce the number of pets that are bought on impulse. This would lead to a higher percentage of pets being purchased by owners who have thoughtfully considered what exactly it means to be a pet owner, thereby reducing the number of abandoned animals. Hopefully, Richmond’s example will lead other towns to follow suit. I personally am wondering when the bans on the sale of other animals, especially kittens, will be put into effect.

Sincerely,  

Kristene Welch

To the Editor:

When a college student moves off campus, they enjoy a number of luxuries that they did not have during dorm life: the chance to have their own room, to be able to throw parties, and to have a driveway to park their car.  One luxury that many students take advantage of is the ability to own a pet.  The question is, even though the students are mature enough to be on their own and live in an unsupervised dwelling, are they mature enough to be a pet owner?  In my opinion the majority are not.  Very few students seem to understand the lifelong commitment that they should be making to the animal when they become its owner: the expenses for food, proper grooming and medical care, the need to set aside time for playing with the animal and keeping it company.  With students normally not making a salary during the year and not even having time to get eight hours of sleep a night, how are they going to care for an animal?

Another issue with college students becoming pet owners is that when the spring semester comes to an end and they need to move back home or travel cross country for a job, is it possible for them to bring the animal along with them?  Many parents are probably unaware that their child has purchased an animal, and do not want it coming into their house when their son or daughter moves back in for the summer.  So the student is left with the decision of what to do with their pet.  While some go the correct path of finding a good home for the animal, or even giving it up to a shelter,  there are still students out there that will just release the pet out onto the streets fend for itself in a world that it has never known to either starve or freeze to death, fight with other feral animals, increase the population of strays already out there, or eventually be hit by a car.  So if you were to ask me, college students should not be allowed to become pet owners.

Sincerely,

Julia Susan