I am a new resident to Staunton Virginia and I strongly believe that because of the amount of unwanted dogs and cats that the taxpayers pay for, NO PERSON OR BUSINESS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO BREED AND/OR SELL ANY DOGS, PUPPIES, CATS, OR KITTENS!  It is not a ‘right’ to choose a certain breed of dog or cat for companion animals when the shelters and non-profit organizations are overrun with animals. What other business causes the taxpayers to have the financial and emotional burden of its collateral consequences caused by people giving up or neglecting animals? Today, PETA brought to my attention that pet stores in Virginia are not regulated for the health and welfare of the animals they sella risk disgusted and it’s almost unbelievable! PETA alerted me that the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is currently accepting comments from members of the public regarding proposed regulations for pet stores that sell dogs and cats. These for-profit businesses—which exacerbate the companion animal overpopulation and homelessness crisis by selling purpose-bred, typically mill-sourced animals—are currently subject only to local animal control agency oversight, usually in the event of a complaint. The proposed regulations are a step in the right direction, but as written, they aren’t meaningful enough to protect the welfare of puppies and kittens sold in pet stores. As someone who believes that the practice of selling animals should not even be allowed, as has recently become the law in Maryland, at the very least Virginia should enact and enforce strict regulations for any business that sells live animals. Please consider even a temporary ban on the breeding and selling of companion animals until the shelters and nonprofit organizations are not overwhelmed but at a minimum any business that sells live animals should not be permitted to neglect the health and emotional welfare of the animals. 
I also oppose the sale of ANY animals who should be living in the wild such as lizards, snakes and birds because a life of captivity is a life of suffering. Imagine taking the ability to fly away from birds and keeping them in cages as our pets, it is an immoral and disgusting practice that I cannot believe is accepted. It is literally enslaving that animal and preventing it from its natural ability to be with other birds, fly and live a free and natural life for no meaningful or necessary purpose. It is not a basic human need to have companion animals but to force a wild animal or bird or reptile to live in a cage with nothing to do all day is disgusting and wrong. Most domestic “pets” are fundamentally neglected as most people live busy lives while their pets sit home all day bored and lonely. The breeding of specialty dogs and cats is a practice that should not be allowed when too many animals are up for adoption or simply abandoned in public to die or hopefully be found in time to be saved. How many times have we heard a story of a litter of puppies or kittens being abandoned in public somewhere, and somehow it’s still okay to breed and sell puppies and kittens for profit? Please enact strict regulations if a ban is not possible.