Boston Council Committee Advances Guinea Pig Pet Shop Sales Ban

BOSTON — December 4, 2023 — Boston's City Council committee moves to add guinea pigs to the city's pet shop sales ban. The Government Operations Committee, chaired by Councilor Ricardo Arroyo, heard testimony December 4 on an amendment to Boston's 2016 Humane Pet Shop Ordinance, which currently bans pet shop sales of dogs, cats, and rabbits. Lead sponsor Councilor Liz Breadon filed the measure in response to surging shelter intake: the MSPCA's Boston facility has taken in 383 guinea pigs so far in 2023, with animals staying in the shelter nearly twice as long as cats or dogs, according to Director of Operations Deb Bobik, who said five fee-waived adoption events in 2022 were "the only thing keeping us from drowning in guinea pigs." Alexis Trusinski, Director of Boston Animal Care and Control, reported no enforcement problems with the existing ordinance and said abandoned animals have arrived at roadsides and in parks in poor condition since the pandemic. The committee settled on a roughly 90-day implementation window, targeting a date ahead of Easter, and Arroyo indicated he will bring the amendment to a full Council vote.