Poised at press time for a third hearing in the full Assembly, Assembly Bill 2862 includes a host of new husbandry requirements that bird breeders and other opponents of the bill, including the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (Washington), say would make compliance too difficult or too costly.

The requirements, which apply to “retail outlets where the animals are intended as companion or household animals,” including flea markets and animal shows, would take effect July 1, 2007, if enacted. A first violation would be punishable as an infraction or a misdemeanor, at the discretion of the prosecutor. Second or subsequent violations would be punishable as a misdemeanor, with fines of up to $1,000 per animal involved and imprisonment for up to six months.

The provisions of the bill (see “New Pet Store Standards in California,” June PET AGE) spell out feeding requirements and housing standards for most types of animals, including mammals, birds, rodents and reptiles. It also mandates extensive record-keeping and requires sellers to post notices stating the origin of all animals—other than fish, insects, arachnids and crustaceans—offered for sale.

Critics of the measure say many of the provisions are unreasonable and have less to do with protecting animals than placing unnecessary burdens on animal sellers to further animal activists’ agenda.

For example, caging requirements mandating at least 144 square inches of space to house up to four small rodents are unsupported by the animals’ medical or biological needs but would demand space that few stores could provide, PIJAC said.

In addition, posting the sources of all animals would make suppliers vulnerable to harassment by activists, the trade organization said.

Assembly Bill 2862 is drawn from a draft bill prepared by the Animal Protection Institute (Sacramento, Calif.), according to PIJAC. Last fall, the animal rights organization launched its “Little Shops of Sorrows” campaign to “end the suffering of animals in pet shops” after conducting what it termed an “undercover investigation.”

The measure prompted a coordinated industry response to fight it, including alerts circulated in late May to members of the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (Greenwich, Conn.) and a statewide grass-roots campaign spearheaded by Petco Animal Supplies (San Diego), PetSmart Inc. (Phoenix) and several other California retailers and distributors.

For more information, visit www.pijac.org. [July 2006 PET AGE]