Urge Pinellas County Commissioners to REJECT New Ordinance Being Considered to Harm Lawful Pet Stores & Breeders

The USDA is responsible for regulating and enforcing the Animal Welfare Act, which sets rigorous standards for the treatment of animals to be sold in retail pet stores.

It is crucial to recognize that the vast majority of pet stores already have stringent policies in place to ensure the welfare of the animals they sell. Many stores refuse to purchase puppies from breeders with even a single direct USDA violation within three years.

Inaccuracies and misconceptions surrounding the issue are not only unnecessary but also potentially harmful. Dog breeders who adhere to existing regulations should not be burdened with additional requirements that could impede their operations and livelihoods.

Moreover, the focus should be on enforcing existing laws effectively rather than implementing new ones. Strengthening enforcement of existing laws and providing adequate resources to regulatory agencies would be a more pragmatic approach to addressing any concerns regarding the welfare of breeding dogs and puppies.

For these reasons and the following points below, we urge you to contact the Pinellas County Commissioners and urge them to reject mandating the Canine Care Certification program on retail pet stores in Pinellas County. 

Reasons The Cavalry Group Opposes Pet Stores Adopting the Canine Care Certified Program: 

• Lack of Regulatory Authority: The Canine Care Certification (CCC) is not a regulatory agency and many of its Rules for compliance are duplicitous of USDA regulations of dog breeders under the Animal Welfare Act.  

• Transparency of CCC Requirements: The specific requirements and regulations under the CCC are not publicly accessible, creating a lack of transparency that raises concerns about what standards breeders are being held to while fueling concerns of regulatory abuse. Why would you make a decision about new provisions that are unavailable for review before one purchases the Certification?

• The lack of publicly available information about the CCC's standards and practices that are required of breeders severely limits public accountability and trust in the CCC certification process.


• High Participation Fees: Breeders are required to pay substantial fees to participate in the CCC which is a private, for-profit entity. These fees could exclude reputable breeders who cannot afford these costs, potentially limiting market competition unfairly while also creating optics that induce speculation of a money-making scam. 

• Voluntary Program Misused as Mandate: Originally promoted as a voluntary certification, the CCC is now being promoted by Petland and Pinnacle Pet into local and state legislation, effectively making it a legislative mandate. 

• The financial burden of mandatory CCC certification will likely be passed on to consumers at a time when economic hardship is on the rise due to inflation and other economic issues resulting in higher prices for puppies and dogs in pet stores, which could discourage responsible pet ownership among other concerns.

Using some of the talking points mentioned above, please click the tab below and send your emails directly to each Pinellas County Commissioner to OPPOSE their consideration of  mandating the Canine Care Certified program to their regulatory oversight of pet stores.

Please make modifications to the boiler-plate letter to make it your own. 

Thank you for taking action!