It’s the humane thing to do

With Burbank moving to ban retail pet sales, it looks to be on track for joining a growing list of cities that have, or plan to, thwart the flow of puppies and kittens from mills and other large-scale breeding operations into local display windows.

And for good reason.

Animal welfare advocates have long called for the bans, arguing animals from such operations suffer unsanitary conditions, end up ill and are often inbred — consequences that tend to show themselves only after the pet is taken home from the retail store. Meanwhile, they say, thousands of dogs and cats flood animal shelters every year without ever finding a home — and are eventually euthanized.

Huntington Beach, West Hollywood, Glendale and Hermosa Beach have all taken steps to ban retail sales of pets, meaning stores must get their stock from shelters and other rescue operations for resale.

One only needs to recall the proliferation of those bright pink vans advertising “topless maids” to recognize the importance of creating a united front when it comes to regulations and restrictions. With Los Angeles considering a similar ban on puppy and kitten mills, Burbank surely doesn’t want to be the dumping ground for another city’s discarded problems.

And besides, with so many shelter animals needing a home, it’s the humane thing to do.