Inside This Issue:
- Connecticut Pet Store Bill Dead for Now
- A Potential Rhode Island Reptile Ban
- Free Adoptions; Rabid Beaver Attack; and More!
Connecticut Pet Store Bill Dead for Now
A routine topic by now.
Connecticut's animal rights activists and national groups have been pushing to ban the pet store sales of dogs, cats, and rabbits for years, spurred in large part by New York City’s ban. In 2025, Stamford’s city council attempted a local ban on retail pet sales, but the mayor vetoed the ordinance over legal concerns. More recently, state lawmakers crafted a bill that wouldn’t impose a statewide ban but would instead give cities and towns the power to decide for themselves, aiming to sidestep backlash and legal gray areas.
Animal rights groups argued that this approach was needed to stop Connecticut pet shops from sourcing animals from out-of-state breeders (which they universally portrayed as horrendous “puppy mills”). The legislation stalled in the final days of the session as a grandfather clause amendment allowing for transfer of ownership of the store and the ability to remain open was added. That was extremely unpopular with the animal rights groups, who had been salivating at the opportunity to force pet stores to sell (er, “adopt”) their product.
With just days left in the session, lawmakers made it clear that unless there was support from the bill’s most outspoken Republican opponents, House leadership wouldn’t bring it for a vote, fearing that a lengthy filibuster would eat up precious time. In the end, the bill died, but we can expect it to pop back up next year.
Source: Puppy mill bill stalls for fears of filibuster
A Potential Rhode Island Reptile Ban
A little side-eye from a golden tegu.
Last winter, a nearly-dead tropical tegu lizard named Frankie was discovered under more than a foot of snow in a Rhode Island driveway. This was obviously a very bad time for Frankie: tegus can’t survive in such cold weather, and the poor thing would have died had she not been uncovered by a snow-shovel-wielding good samaritan, who brought the lizard indoors to heat up. The good sam then called up some experts from a reptile store and the New England Wildlife Center, and made sure Frankie received the best care possible. And it looks like that did the trick – by mid-March, the Wildlife Center reported that she was feeling about 95% better!
Despite the bad actions of whoever left their tegu outdoors or allowed it to escape, all’s well that ends well, right? No, not really. That person’s actions have consequences beyond themselves and their pet’s welfare, because there are lots of folks out there who, for various reasons – fear, ideology, ignorance, a need to control others, etc. – are just giddy any time someone who owns an exotic animal behaves in a stupid or unethical way. Why? Maybe in part because it validates their biases, but mostly, it’s because any time an exotic animal owner screws up, it creates an opportunity for them to push for laws that restrict or ban exotic pet ownership. In this case, it’s a tegu ban, no doubt because the incident with Frankie is still fresh in people’s minds. Our herp-loving friends at USARK – a knowledgeable and trusted group of experts and advocates against unnecessary blacklists and bans on reptiles – are weighing in on this proposed ban, and note that they bring up this unfortunate reality in the last line of their alert: “While the tegu would have died had it not been rescued, escapes and releases easily trigger bans.”
Source: Reptile Group Fighting Proposed Rhode Island Ban On Exotic Lizards
Free Adoptions; Rabid Beaver Attack; and More!
Just when you thought it was safe...(this is actually a Eurasian beaver, by the way)
Even if you aren’t a San Antonio Spurs fan, there is still at least one good reason to cheer on the team’s success. This year, every time the Spurs win a Playoff game, adoptions of dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens from San Antonio Animal Care Services will be $0 the next day. Aside from being a clever tie-in/advert, it is also an incredible value, as the adoption includes spay and neuter, microchip, vaccinations, and even “lifetime access to shelter trainers” – yowza! The Spurs next playoff game is on Friday.
In Maryland, Kimberly Klein, a woman who was already on probation for hoarding animals, was raided for the third (!) time in a year last week, with authorities removing six dogs from her home. Six is the fewest number of animals Klein has had seized so far: the first raid yielded 82 animals, the second 42. So if readers are giving out points for progress, it’s worth noting that six is only a drop in the bucket. Klein is now admitting to having serious mental health problems, which is also a step in the right direction, but it also seems as if Klein’s friends and family are not taking her mental health problems seriously. In fact, they may have aided and abetted Klein’s hoarding by returning some of the seized animals (which were supposed to be rehomed) back to Klein’s home. With friends like that…
In New Jersey, a beaver that attacked an 8-year-old boy tested positive for rabies. The boy, and everyone who is known to have had contact with the animal, has received prophylaxis so they don’t come down with and spread the fatal disease. Sadly, the beaver had to be captured and euthanized to conduct the test (though it would have died horribly from the disease regardless, so maybe it’s a wash in this case). Beavers can be aggressive and territorial, especially when it comes to other beavers, but they aren’t exactly associated with the type of frenetic violence that was reported and seen in this video. Interestingly, you can read numerous people in the comment sections of this story insisting that the beaver doesn’t have rabies, but is merely protecting its home from intruders. We can only speculate on whether this comes from a place of denial, a lack of trust in experts, or lack of reading comprehension, but it is definitely a little troubling.
Also in the News...
★ Ex-Metallica Bassist Performs for Animals at Wildlife Sanctuary: Watch (Wildlife Rehabs & Sanctuaries; Instagrammable Performances)
★ Puppies in prison: How incarcerated women help to train and transform animals (Shelter & Rescue News; Who's Rehabilitating Who?)
★ Health officials warn of rabies danger after wild animals test positive (Unfortunate Animal Findings; Public Health & Safety)
★ Crocs swallow rocks for two reasons. The second will amaze you (We Won't Spoil You; Guess Before You Read)
★ Cortland County man arrested after allegedly having inappropriate contact with animals (Gross Animal Crimes)
★ Louisiana proposal looks to avoid critter clashes over rescued wildlife (Wildlife Rehabilitation; Recovery, Zoos, and Euthanasia)
★ 10 deadliest ambush predators on the planet (Yet Another Deadly Goofy List; Horses, Snails, and... Swans?)
Click here to see what is happening legislatively
