As a resident of Charles City County, I support VDACS' proposed regulation that pet stores be subject to unannounced inspections; however, I urge you to implement stronger protections for animals in pet stores. At the very least, pet stores should be subject to regulations as stringent as those for animal shelters in the Commonwealth. A shop whose permit is revoked should not be allowed to reapply immediately, civil penalties should be available to VDACS for violations, and a shop operator's commission of cruelty to animals should explicitly prohibit them from obtaining another permit. Shop owners should also be required to engage a licensed veterinarian. 

There must be meaningful enforcement mechanisms in place, or any regulation of pet shops will be toothless. Thank you for your consideration of these concerns.