(KGTV) - A bill that would prevent California pet stores from selling pets raised in "puppy mills" is heading to the governor's desk.
Assembly Bill 485, also known as the Pet Rescue and Adoption Act, would require pet stores within the state to only sell dogs, cats, and rabbits from obtained from animal shelters or non-profit rescue organizations.
The bill passed the state Senate Tuesday by a vote of 38-0.
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It's now on its way to Governor Jerry Brown's desk for approval. The governor has until Oct. 15 to sign the bill into law.
Thursday the legislation's author, Assemblymember Patrick O'Donnell (D - Long Beach), said the issue at hand "is very personal to me."
"My family has two rescue dogs; this issue is very personal to me," O’Donnell said in a release. "In addition to saving animal life, AB 485 is also good for taxpayers. Californians spend more than $250 million a year to house and euthanize animals in our shelters.
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"Protecting the pets that make our house a home is an effort that makes us all proud."
The act would also require pet stores to provide documentation of the source of each animal for at least a year and post that location on the animal's pet store enclosure. The bill would also allow public animal control agencies or shelters to have access to those records periodically.
Pet store owners who violate the ordinances could be fined $500.
If enacted, the legislation would go into effect January 1, 2019.
