In Virginia, you can’t fight city hall

Fourteen months ago, I decided to dedicate my time to helping dogs in Virginia by urging city councils in Tidewater/Hampton Roads to enact an ordinance that would give localities more control over where pet stores get their companion animals. Most of the puppies in pet stores in Virginia come from Midwestern puppy mills notorious for cruel and inhumane breeding habits. Many of these dogs end up in our municipal shelters because of health issues and are a burden to taxpayers or cost owners thousands of dollars in veterinary bills.

The idea of a responsibly sourced pet store is a viable business model that has proved successful. In addition, 190 localities in the United States and 14 localities in Canada have passed similar ordinances. 

To say that I have learned a lot about the unexpectedly intricate facets of legislation in Virginia during my advocacy efforts would be an understatement.

First up was a crash course on the Dillon Rule, which forbids Virginia localities from having ordinances more stringent than state laws. 

The Dillon Rule was brought to my attention after I started a petition on change.org (signed by almost 17,000 people) to make pet stores in Virginia responsibly source their animals. What I thought was a fight with a city council quickly turned into a General Assembly initiative because of the Dillon Rule.

I have spent a year advocating for and raising awareness about this legislation. I’ve received support from seasoned advocates at the Virginia Beach Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Norfolk Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Friends of Virginia Beach Animal Care & Adoption Center, the Virginia Federation of Humane Societies, Richmond SPCA, Fairfax County Animal Advocates and the Humane Society of the United States. 

I was informed by one of the city council members in Tidewater-Hampton Roads that if I found a legislator in the General Assembly to sponsor the potential legislation, it would be included in his or her legislative package for the 2017 session. Having a bill in a city’s legislative package adds credibility to the bill and the issue it aims to address. Sen. Lynwood W. Lewis Jr. (D-Accomack) and Del. Mark L. Keam (D-Fairfax) offered to introduce bills to allow such ordinances.

Then Tidewater informed me it would not include my legislation in the city package because one of its council members has an important animal bill as well. Apparently the council thought two animal-related ordinances in one city package would make the city look too liberal about our companion animals. Animal advocates fight an uphill battle constantly and never give up.

People overwhelmingly say they want localities to have the option to prohibit the sale of puppy-mill dogs at pet stores. So, I will be in Richmond at the General Assembly, and so will many other animal advocates. I am backed by something more powerful than inclusion in a city package — Virginians. 

Our combined efforts will decide the future not only for our companion animals today but also ultimately how our society progresses well into the future.