Salem Puppy Sales Laws Should Remain Open

I personally have found excellent homes for several puppies on Salem city sidewalks legally and safely. I can assure you that these puppies were not abused or treated cruelly in any way.

File photo courtesy: longbeach.olx.com

(SALEM) - I am writing concerning an article that I recently read in the Statesman Journal newspaper on March 10th concerning the sale of puppies on the public right of way. The first thing that concerns me is that a dozen emails received by city councilman Chuck Bennett can affect the lives of thousands of Salem residents in such a negative way.

Is it better to get a puppy from a puppy mill or from a responsible backyard breeder? In the city of Salem, we have the right to find good homes for healthy puppies on the city sidewalks as long as you provide food, water and shade for them and leave room for wheelchairs to pass by.

I don’t believe these rights should be taken away from us.

Another concern I have with this article is the quote from Lora Meisner. She claims that “99.9% of the time these puppies are not properly vaccinated”.

I am very curious where she finds these statistics.

I personally have found excellent homes for several puppies on Salem city sidewalks legally and safely. I can assure you that these puppies were not abused or treated cruelly in any way. They had food, water, shade and toys on warm days and food, water, warm blankets, sweaters and toys on colder days. If it is too cold or raining, I will not have them out there.

My puppies are de-wormed and have had their appropriate shots. Salem City Police have stopped by and inspected my sidewalk sales site and told me that I am “doing a good job”, and my puppies appear “healthy and happy”.

These puppies are meticulously cared for.

They are bottle fed from birth and loved by elderly people in nursing homes often. I am afraid that if this small right is taken away and an unwanted law is imposed, many more puppies will be sold on the internet across the country and shipped in a box in an airplane cargo hold until it reaches its destination.

Please tell me this is not what you people want.

Chuck Bennett needs to hear from you. Tell him you do not want puppies being shipped across the United States because he received a few emails and wants to take the right to find good local homes for these puppies away.

John Williams