To: President Donald Trump, The Utah State House, The Utah State Senate, Governor Gary R. Herbert, The United States House of Representatives, and The United States Senate

Stop Puppy/Kitten Mills, Puppy/Kitten Pet Store Sales, and Over-Breeding!

I want to bring to light the matter of our huge problem with dog and cat overpopulation. Dogs and cats are being euthanized every day in this country and yet the breeding community seems to just be getting bigger, selling dogs and cats for profit when there are already too many to fit in the local shelters. This petition is to help spread the word that we will no longer sit back and treat our animals this way. This petition is to put a stop to puppy mills, kitten mills, the selling of puppies and kittens in pet stores (unless they are there for adoption from a local shelter), for breeders to be registered in each state and to ban the selling of puppies and kittens in parking lots, sidewalks, street corners, and other public areas (unless it is an organized local shelter adoption event). There should also be a limit in each state to the amount of breeders and types of dogs they are breeding compared to local population and regulations on veterinary care with said breeders on all their breeding animals. Animal Abuse should also be a felony in every state, and not treated lightly. It's understandable that this will be a hard fight and hard for states to enforce, but something must be done. Many dogs and cats in shelters are euthanized in the cheapest ways possible: all packed together in a gas chamber. If animal cruelty is a crime, then why is it still going on in our country? These signatures will signify the change for ALL the problems outlined in this petition. Please sign!

More on Puppy Mills: Help to stop the overabundant Puppy mills across America! "Puppy mills contribute to pet overpopulation and cause countless dogs a lifetime of suffering in squalid wire cages. Help us stop this cycle of cruelty. Do your research before getting a puppy, and look into adopting a dog from your local shelter. http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/puppy_mills/. For more information, a good site to look at is http://www.aspca.org/fight-cruelty/puppy-mills/laws-protect-dogs-puppy-mills.

Why is this important?

I did a research paper on the links between animal abuse and human abuse and found through my research that animal abuse will almost always lead to human abuse. Many domestic violence, rape, homicide, and other human abuse cases first started with animal abuse. Many interviews of said criminals said they confessed to starting with animal abuse before starting human abuse. If we as a country are allowing these abuses outlined in this petition to happen in our own communities on a daily basis, what does that say about us? I also just have a great love for animals and don't understand the extent to which we, as a country, have let these problems get so out of hand. Please Don't Shop, Adopt!