Pet leasing would be banned in Michigan under House legislation

[demmiblue]

Some pet stores in Michigan are offering buyers the option to pay for their pet with a lease - but two Michigan representatives are hoping to ban the practice, arguing it’s a scheme where purchasers make payments on animals without having full ownership rights.

The leases are billed as a way to finance pricey pooches, with buyers paying a certain amount per month instead of the full cost up front.

But if the buyer misses payments, their pet could get repossessed because they don’t own the animal - the leasing company does. And when accounting for interest, the leases can result in a person paying thousands of dollars over the initial asking price before owning their pet.

Reports of pet leasing in Michigan first started popping up in 2017, said Pam Sordyl, founder of Puppy Mill Awareness of Southeast Michigan.

https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2019/12/pet-leasing-would-be-banned-in-michigan-under-house-legislation.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=mlive_sf

Also... adopt, don't shop!

[Siwsan]

1. Because I've just had 1 cup of coffee, my mind read "Pet LEASHING" and I thought WTF!?!?!?!?

Time for that 2nd cup!

[demmiblue]

3. Lol!

[Siwsan]

4. I actually got more than 4 hours of sleep, last night. My system must be in shock!

[Arkansas Granny]

2. I have never understood paying exorbitant amounts of money for a specific breed when

there are so many lovely, sweet mixed breed pups who need homes. I've only owned 2 purebred dogs in my life (both given to me) and they didn't make any better companions than my Heinz 57 hybrids.

IMO, its a dog's personality that makes them special, not the breed.

The idea of pet leasing reduces these dogs to the stature of objects instead of wonderful living creatures.

[dameatball]

5. I had no idea people even did this. Sounds pretty Goofy...yes, pun intended.

[CozyMystery]

6. Puppy Mill Dogs

Pet stores sell puppy mill dogs. So now they cannot lease them, but the stores can still sell them. This is how Amish and other puppy millers make money to continue their evil ways. Leasing dogs is just the tip of the iceberg.

Most, if not nearly all, of the puppies sold online are from puppy mills, too. Many operate in secret and are not subject to inspection and regulatory oversight by the USDA. The ones that have been inspected are no better than the ones who are not.

To top it off, there are so-called breeders who claim to breed and take care of the puppies they sell online, right in their own homes. This is often a lie. Their puppies come from puppy mills and they operate as a cover. Yes, you can be a backyard breeder without ever coming near a puppy until a puppy miller supplies you with your stock. Do the buyers find out? Rarely.

I found out when I registered my dog with the AKC (bought in person from a small in-home breeder who had a great reputation in my area). Turns out my dog was bred by an Amish puppy miller. He and his sibllings were handed over to fake breeder to sell as his dog's own offspring.

What is a puppy mill? https://www.aspca.org/barred-from-love

Puppy Mills: The Scientific Evidence of Harm They Cause To Dogs https://centerforshelterdogs.tufts.edu/blog/puppy-mills-the-scientific-evidence-of-harm-they-cause-to-dogs/