Private and public animal shelters are held to high standards in VA, and it's essential that pet stores be held to at least the same standards, but the current proposed regulations for these businesses fall far short.

I urge VDACS to include provisions that require these businesses to employ licensed veterinarians to develop their care protocols for sick animals. I also ask that the same civil penalties for infractions that are levied against shelters, up to $1000 a day per violation, be adopted for these businesses, as without stringent penalties there is little incentive for businesses to even comply with the new regulations, making their adoption little more than lip service.

Thank you for your consideration.