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Beverly Hills Ban Means Pet Shops Can Only Sell Shelter Animals

Mary Simpson
by Mary Simpson
Published:  August 24th, 2015
Shelter dogs are the latest “in” trend in Beverly Hills, thanks to a new ban that only allows pet stores to sell rescue animals.


When it comes to trend-setting, few of us would argue that LA-LA-Land’s hub for the rich and famous- Beverly Hills – probably leads the pack. Home to famed Rodeo Drive (described as the “epicenter of luxury, fashion and lifestyle”) and multi-million dollar abodes, one would assume that designer breeds toted in designer bags are the accessory of choice. Well hold on to your Pucci for this news blast: it seems that the Beverly Hills City Council passed an ordinance that prohibits pet stores from selling commercially bred animals. And it passed unanimously!


Yes, the times they-are-a-changing and it was deemed that area pet stores may only offer cats, dogs, and rabbits that come from animal shelters and rescue groups. Effective next month, the import of animals from any other source (specifically puppy mills) has been outlawed.


Okay, so let’s be honest. The ultra-rich don’t typically hit the local pet store to pick their furry little friends and the ordinance does not ban internet sales or sales directly from breeders – meaning there is a work-around for those who are determined to avoid the shelter dog approach. Additionally, massive protests several years back shut down the last pet store that was drawing “stock” from less than credible sources.


So why the big woo-hoo? Because as any trend-setter knows, followers are key. And with Beverly Hills adding their name to a list of 80 other jurisdictions throughout North America, this type of initiative is going to make others sit up, take notice and want to be part of the “in” crowd.


Best Friends Animal Society’s puppy mill specialist Elizabeth Oreck worked closely with council members in this instance. She confirms that the goal is not only to curb sales but by getting the initiative passed in such a high-profile city, get folks around the world thinking critically about where their furry family members are coming from and to do what’s necessary to ensure puppy mills do not thrive.


For the first time in my life, the folks in Beverly Hills and I have something in common!

WOW
Mary Simpson
Mary Simpson

Sharing space with three seriously judgy Schnoodles and a feline who prefers to be left alone. #LivingMyBestLife

More by Mary Simpson

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Taking its place alongside California’s existing official symbols, shelter animals get much-needed (and deserved) attention as the Golden State’s recognized pet. In an effort to stress the importance of adopting a shelter pet, the California State Legislature passed a concurrent resolution, ACR 56, declaring the Shelter Pet as the official California State Pet. Of the more than 800,000 animals taken into California shelters each year, less than half are adopted into homes. This resolution aims to draw attention to that and encourage Californians to consider adopting a shelter pet. Related: Beverly Hills Ban Means Pet Shops Can Only Sell Shelter Animals “Humane societies are often charged with nearly impossible tasks like reviving debilitated animals or placing them in homes with loving families,” said Assemblymember Eric Linder, who introduced the resolution. “I hope by naming the Shelter Animal as California’s State Pet, we can highlight great organizations like the Riverside County Department of Animal Services, and all the good work they do for our animals.” Assemblymember Linder garnered support from big California names like Russell Simmons, co-founder of Def Jam Records, actress Alison Eastwood (Clint’s daughter) and Madeline Bernstein, President, Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles. Related: Logan’s Law Will Mandate Animal Abusers Registry, Tougher Penalties “Far too often, shelter animals are forgotten or mistreated, and the people who work to save these animals are going above and beyond,” said Linder. “We hope that by designating them the California State Pet, we bring special awareness to the plight of these special animals.” Eleven states have named an official state dog, and Colorado also selected shelter pets as theirs. [Source: spcaLA]

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42% of Pet Parents Feel Caring for Pets is More Stressful Than Kids!

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Latest Studies Find That Aging in Dogs Can Mirror Aging in Humans

In the United States alone, pet owners spend around $1,500 a year on  veterinary care. To be precise, people tend to spend more on dogs than on any other pets – up to 41% of Americans spend $2,000 per year caring about their cherished canine friends. Of course, this is all in the hopes that their pet reaches their senior age with minimal issues and that they get to spend as many years enjoying their company. While providing veterinary care is an important factor that contributes to a pet’s longevity, it’s not always easy to determine when a certain procedure or treatment will help prolong your pet’s life and not their suffering. By comparing the concept they labeled “frailty” in humans and in dogs, a team of researchers hopes that they can help owners make better decisions about their pet’s care.Scientists behind the “ Dog Aging Project” are studying how they could improve your dog’s quality of life for many years to come. The team from the University of Washington is conducting extensive research, based on dogs of all ages, in their attempts to determine how their quality of life is impacted as they age. Dr. Anya Gambino, one of the chief veterinarians working on the project, says: “There's a quantity of life. It's amazing to have a long life, but you always want to have quality of life." The team’s UW Biologist and the Co-Director of the Project, Daniel Promislow, quickly drew a parallel with humans. "Dogs get the same kinds of diseases that humans get. They also show the same kinds of frailty that we see in humans," he said.The so-called “frailty” of dogs, which is the object of the study, is already studied in humans. Dr. Promislow firmly believes that through this study, researchers can gain a much better understanding of life expectancies in dogs and potential disease risks as well. "We hope we'll be able to figure out the relationship between frailty and the disease," Promislow says. But what exactly is this “frailty”? Researchers describe it as "a complex syndrome associated with aging. Because it considers physical, mental and emotional changes associated with aging, it is a better indicator of the body’s condition and overall health than age alone.""If we can do that, we can help vets treat dogs earlier before those diseases are apparent and can also help dogs enjoy their later years to the best degree possible," said Promislow.The study is on a very grand scale and already enrolls over 46,000 dogs across the United States. What is best, researchers believe that humans can also benefit from this extensive study. "The other thing about aging in dogs is that aging in dogs looks a lot like aging in people," said Promislow. "What we learn about aging in dogs is going to help us learn about aging in people, as well."Hopefully, this would mean that many more dogs would get a chance to enjoy their golden years, right by their owner's side. "They provide us with so much unconditional love, joy, and humor," said Dr. Gambino. "We can do something for them that gives them the best chance for living a very happy life with us."

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A new and revolutionary drug that could possibly extend the lifespan of healthy, senior dogs, is now entering a major clinical trial. It also has a first patient - an 11-year-old Whippet named Boo. Going by the codename LOY-002, this drug is designed to provide a few more years to senior dogs of most sizes. It is the product of a startup biotech company called  Loyal and is the fruit of their hard work and arduous research. Celine Halioua, the founder and CEO of Loyal, said that the company is working hard to develop several products aimed at the longevity of dogs. One of their initial projects, the LOY-001, was a drug aimed to extend the lifespan of giant and large dog breeds. In November of 2023, this project received the support of the FDA, paving the way for the company's further successes. The underlying mechanisms of aging were the first focus of the company as it developed LOY-001. The drug works by reducing IGF-1, an insulin-like growth factor that is a key biomarker hormone that drives cell growth. It is believed that this reduced the lifespan of extra-large dogs. Similarly, the LOY-002 project aims to extend the lifespan of normal-sized dogs, by improving their metabolic health and thus delaying the onset and the impact of diseases that come with old age. “LOY-002 is a slightly different mechanism [than LOY-001] for senior lifespan extension. It’s a little bit more of a reversal mechanism. It’s not going to make a 10-year-old dog a puppy, but we’ve seen a rescuing in age-related functional decline in dogs that have been treated with this drug,” said Halioua in an interview with  dvm360.The newest study for LOY-002 is expected to last 4 years, and include one thousand enrolled dogs. “It will be one of the largest veterinary clinical studies that, as far as we know, has ever been run,” added Halioua.The first ever receiver of the drug, Boo, was enrolled into the program in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, at the Animal Hospital of Dauphin County. There, an associate veterinary and STAY study investigator, Coby Rudakewiz, became a part of the program for the first time, witnessing its incredible potential. “I’m genuinely excited to be able to share what we’ve seen as a life-changing product to dogs of all sizes,” he said.“This is what it’s all about - keeping dogs feeling their best to enjoy a long life with their owners who love them.”“The launch of this study brings us one step closer to helping senior dogs have more, healthier years with their families…The scale and complexity of STAY reflect Loyal’s commitment to creating demonstrably effective and safe products,” Halioua added. “This is a massive undertaking that wouldn’t be possible without the partnership of the many veterinarians and technicians operating the study in their clinics, and the participating dogs and owners helping advance therapies for all dogs.”For the time being, the company is working hard to receive conditional approval for its revolutionary drug. This would allow them to begin offering it through veterinarians as soon as 2025. This could mean a world of difference for many senior doggos and their families. Seeing your senior doggo enjoy a few extra years without the issues common to old age is nothing short of true happiness, and would mean that the company’s hard efforts were not in vain. Ultimately, this innovative drug gives us hope for the future and makes us wonder what other ground-breaking drugs could we see in the years ahead.

Meet Maverick, the Winner of the 2023 American Humane Hero Dog Award

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Pandemic Puppies Are Behaving Badly, Study Shows

Puppies bought during the COVID-19 pandemic are more likely to exhibit one or more problem behaviors, a new study suggests. Research by the Royal Veterinary Colledge (RVC) has found that four in five (82%) owners of pandemic puppies have resorted to using punishment-based training methods to try to curb their dog’s problem behavior. The study found that moving the dog or shouting at them were the most commonly used aversive training methods. Other owners reported using water pistols, rattle bottles, and choke chains. Only 18% of owners who participated in the study said they didn’t use any aversive training methods or aids. Not only are aversive training techniques such as yelling at the dog or pulling its lead ineffective but they are also linked to further behavioral problems. The survey which was funded by the Battersea animal rescue charity asked more than 1,007 UK dog owners to list problem behaviors exhibited by their dogs. The list consisted of 24 problem behaviors reported by the owners. They ranged from control behaviors ( pulling on the leash) and attention-seeking behaviors, to aggressive behaviors and fear behaviors (anxiety around other dogs or people).Almost all (97%) owners said their dog exhibited at least one problem behavior from the list. At 21 months, owners on average reported five behavioral problems, while 20% of owners reported that their dogs had eight or more problem behaviors. According to owners, pulling on the leash is the most common problem behavior (67%), followed by jumping on people (57%), and not coming back when called (52%).Denise Mariner-Chappell got a Labrador retriever Ted during the pandemic. Strict lockdown measures made it hard to properly train and socialize her new pooch.“He’s a crazy dog when he’s out,” she said. “He’s just manic. He just wants to play and sniff, and everything, but not with humans.” Dr. Rowena Packer, the lead author of the study explained that problem behaviors are very common in pandemic puppies. In many cases, owners exacerbate these issues by using punishment-based training methods. “Although we understand these problem behaviors can be very frustrating for owners, they are often a sign a dog is struggling to cope or that they haven’t been taught an appropriate response in a situation, rather than dogs intentionally behaving badly,” she added.Packer warned that punishing the dog can make it anxious and fearful and cause it to develop further behavioral problems, including aggression. According to Robert Bays, Battersea’s senior animal behavior manager, the charity has seen an influx in dogs with behavioral problems coming into centers. These pups are suffering from separation anxiety and show other problem behaviors, which can be linked to training challenges brought on by the pandemic. “Without the right kind of positive training and support, a small behavioral problem in a puppy or a dog can quickly escalate into a serious issue, so we are deeply concerned with this study’s findings that so many owners are using aversive training methods,” said Bays.This training approach can cause additional behavioral problems in adulthood and also significantly damage the relationship between the dog and its owner. The study found that puppies who were still exhibiting problem behaviors by the age of 21 months were at a higher risk of being rehomed or euthanized. “A key piece of guidance arising from our study is that attending puppy classes is a vital way to support owners in using the best training techniques available.”Although many pandemic puppy owners missed these training classes due to lockdown restrictions there are thankfully many certified trainers who offer training classes for adult dogs. Join the PetGuide community. Get the latest pet news and product recommendations by subscribing to our newsletter here.

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What Is Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine?

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