San Francisco bill attempts to ban goldfish sales

Your veterinary clients won’t be adding goldfish to their pet-friendly family anytime soon. That is, if the goldfish ban passes in California. The San Francisco Animal Control and Welfare Commission is trying to ban the sale of goldfish in pet stores—and anywhere else for that matter.

This isn’t the first time the organization has tried to ban the sale of pets. Last year, the organization proposed a bill to ban the sale of puppies, kittens, and hamsters. The proposed ban is meant to discourage impulse buys of pets that sometimes end up at shelters, according to commission member Philip Gerrie. He said goldfish, guppies, and other tropical fish were added to the proposed ban because of what he called the “inhumane suffering of fish” and the inhumane way the fish are harvested.

Just as the Animal Control and Welfare Commission expected, the proposed fish ban has local pet storeowners up in arms. City leaders say the recommendation from the commission is a tough sell and they doubt the new proposal will pass.