The City Council of Albany, California, a suburb of Oakland in the San Francisco Bay area, voted to direct staff to draft an ordinance that would prohibit the retail sale of live animals, including fish and other aquarium species, in the city. The vote was unanimous, although one City Council member recused himself as he stated he bred and sold tropical fish out of his house. Animal rights campaigners were well organized and had representatives for several large and well-funded organizations, such as PETA. One City Council member seemed to have a relationship with animal rights organizations, as he at one point mentioned “my DXE family,” referring to the animal rights group Direct Action Everywhere. He, however, did not recuse himself from the vote.
While there are currently no retail aquarium or pet shops in the city, the animal rights groups emphasized the City Council should move the measure forward to preempt one from opening, as well as to inspire San Francisco to pass an animal sales ban, then cause “a ripple effect to other cities in California and across the country and across the world.”
USAQUA submitted written testimony against the proposal and testified via Zoom during the meeting. Pet Advocacy Network (PAN) joined with USAQUA in testifying against the proposal at the meeting.
USAQUA will continue to monitor the proposal as it moves through the process and provide updates. Members should continue to voice opposition to the City Council.
An email list is below, or you can submit comments to citycouncil@albanyca.gov.
Council member phone numbers can be found at https://www.albanyca.gov/Government/City-Council.
Sample Letter (Please be civil and professional!)
Email List: pmcquaid@albanyca.gov, jhansen-romero@albanyca.gov, pjordan@albanyca.gov, rlopez@albanyca.gov, jmiki@albanyca.gov
Subject line: NO to animal sales ban
Dear Albany City Council Members
I am an Albany resident who opposes the ban on sales of live animals such as aquarium fish and aquatic invertebrates. Aquarium retailers and pet shops are regulated and highly visible to the public. Banning retail sales of live animals will force consumers to obtain their fish and other pets from unregulated and less transparent sources. It will also severely limit the choice of fish and other pets, and people may end up with an animal not ideally suited for their situation. This can lead to reduced animal welfare and sustainability. Please oppose the ban on sales of fish and other pets in Albany.
