Calgary business owner renews calls for councillors to ban the sale of animals

She feels like her cries for help are falling on deaf ears and “good luck” can only get you so far, but one Calgary woman isn’t giving up in her quest to ban the retail sale of animals in Calgary.

Doodle Dogs pet boutique store co-owner Meghan Huchkowsky launched a petition last year that has garnered more than 22,000 signatures on it, but she’s been hitting roadblocks with city officials.

Huchkowsky was previously optimistic about the number of incoming new council members after the 2021 election, but so far she says she’s not getting anywhere with them or the mayor’s office.

“When I don't hear back from city officials or they say things like ‘Good luck with your campaign’, it’s frustrating because I don’t need luck. You are the luck, you are the one who has the power to make the changes.”

Motivated for change

The dog boutique shop owner says the response has been disappointing, but it’s what keeps her motivated.

“I’m not a lawmaker, so I need the lawmakers to see why this is important and see how they can get involved and how they can change the bylaw,” she says.

“Because right now telling me good luck is just going to give me more ammo… because the luck isn’t there. Luck isn’t found. It has to be made. And it’s made in the form of a bylaw.”

Huchkowsky believes city councillors don’t see this as an issue for them.

“And soon, I can foresee this being an issue for them because if this results in a seizure, this will become an embarrassment for our city and will make our city look archaic,” she adds.

The last of a dying breed

The only pet store in the city that still sells dogs is The Top Dog Store, which has long been the target of animal groups urging them to stop the practice.

Calgary is the only city in Alberta that still allows the sale of pets in stores, while major cities such as Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal have already banned the controversial practice.

“We are a progressive city. And if we want to be one of the biggest cities in Canada doing progressive things, we should be doing things like implementing these bylaws,” Huchkowsky says.

Those who protest the sale of dogs at pet stores are worried the animals are coming from unethical puppy mills, a claim The Top Dog Store owner Robert Church has denied in the past.

Roast and Toast

While The Top Dog Store says all of their puppies are from veterinary-inspected and approved breeders, the store is still often the target of protestors.

Huchkowsky is optimistic about the fact that the Calgary Humane Society (CHS) recently nipped back at Top Dog on social media, signalling a clear sign that the animal organization publically doesn’t support the sale of animals.

Earlier this month, another woman took to the city’s popular Roast and Toast Facebook page to make this statement;

“A big roast to the top dog store. Honestly not sure how that place is still able to sell puppies but it’s absolutely horrific in there. My little sister and I went in to get some supplies for her dogs but after witnessing several heartbreaking incidents we left the store furious and in tears.”

Calgary Humane Society barks back

The Top Dog Store issued a statement afterwards, stating; “Professional Bylaw Officers from the Calgary Humane Society paid us a visit today and we are pleased to report that they had no concerns about the health or care of our puppies.

Neither of the bylaw officers had been in our store before, so it was a pleasure to show them our healthy, happy puppies, and to take them behind the scenes into our professional kennel operations.”

That prompted the Humane Society to respond with a statement of its own, clarifying that its peace officers are not bylaw officers, and;

“While Humane Society did inspect, it is important to recognize that the APA sets out mandatory minimum standards of care for animals, and there is a wide gap between what is ideal for an animal and what is illegal.”

The statement continued with; “The Act does not account for an animal's comfort, enrichment, happiness or proper socialization, nor does it address the ethics of mass commercial breeding or the contribution to an over-saturation of companion animals in the community—which creates capacity crises at local Humane Society's, SPCA's and animal shelters.

While it is true that no animals were seized and no charges were laid, this is a very low bar to celebrate on social media.”

The Top Dog’s perspective

The Top Dog Store owner Robert Church says his business has been an exemplary provider in the community for families who want to bring a “healthy, happy puppy into their homes” from a safe and reliable source.

“At the Top Dog Store the quality of love, care and diligence we provide throughout the entire homing process should be commended and we are definitely an excellent alternative to the thousands of unregulated puppies that are found on Kijiji,” Church told Calgary Citizen.

“We believe people have the right to decide what the best available source is to bring a puppy into their home. Banning our family business would eliminate the safest and most reliable provider of puppies and puppy expertise in our community.”

Church says their breeders work closely with their veterinarians, and their Kennel Inspection Team conducts regular inspections of breeding facilities and reviews of animal husbandry protocols.

That hasn’t calmed the nerves of those opposed to the sale of animals in stores, with those critical of the practice saying it also contributes to the pressure the city’s already struggling shelters are facing.

Calgary Humane Society chimes in

Calgary Humane Society (CHS) director of communications Weston Jacques says the organization’s stance on the sale of animals in stores is clear, and he’s surprised the city still hasn’t banned the practice.

“(The CHS) does not support the sale of animals in a store such as Top Dog. With shelters being very full right now, we’re urging people to consider an animal shelter if they’re considering adopting an animal or bringing in a new furry family member,” Jacques tells Calgary Citizen.

Jacques says one of the issues with selling animals in stores is that it can encourage impulsive decisions.

“When people go to a store such as Top Dog, you’re looking at a bunch of puppies, so sometimes spontaneous decisions can happen,” he says, adding that some people might think they want a puppy but then realize how much work it is.

“Quite often we will see people who decide to surrender an animal because they’re just not ready.”

Adopt from shelters

Jacques says there are upwards of 38 cats and 19 dogs available for adoption at the bustling CHS and he encourages people to consider adopting from there or one of the many shelters across the city.

“Obviously, we want to get these animals into new homes,” he adds.

Huchkowsky hopes that the CHS publicly calling out the practice will help her cause.

“Having them be such a respected organization in the eyes of our city officials, that is now the angle that I’m hoping to take. Like, “Hey, if these guys aren’t for it, then why are you?’”

On a mission

For her part, Huchkowsky says she won’t give up on her mission and encourages people to sign the petition. She’s also taking it one step further.

“If this is something that upsets you, contact me and I will draft a letter that you can fill in the blanks with your councillor’s name… and you can just send it off,” she says, adding she wants to make it easy for people who are passionate about this cause to help.

She holds out hope that constantly being on social media and consistently reaching out to city officials will help spur change.

“Calgary is the one that homes the last pet store selling puppies or kittens in Alberta. So, let's align ourselves with Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, and now New York City,” she says.

“Every time there’s a new piece of information, I will follow up with any existing correspondence I have with city officials and say, ‘This has now come to light, and if you are not against this, you are for this.’”

Time for change

Huchkowsky says she isn’t trying to target The Top Dog in particular, but as the only store in Calgary that still sells dogs, it’s unavoidable.

She’s also concerned with the number of dogs on The Top Dog website that were born in September and November 2022 and have not been adopted yet.

“We have to wonder, where are these puppies coming from and what happens when they don’t sell? As those puppies become older, the price drops. And my question is, what happens when they don’t sell, where do they go?”

She points to Petland as an example of a pet store that started phasing out the selling of animals in its stores a decade ago, instead, instilling its Adopt-a-Pet program where people can adopt through the store from local pet rescues.

In 2018, the second-last store selling animals in the province, located in West Edmonton Mall, had 500 animals seized for neglect.

The Top Dog store is located in Ward 7 Cllr. Sean Chu’s ward and the councillor didn’t respond to requests for comment for this story.

You can view and sign the petition here.