Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Puppies guaranteed for 10 years

Pet-store protesters suggest owner sells animals bred inhumanely

An animal-rights group is suing a retail property owner for First Amendment violations, claiming the owner's management company is prohibiting the group from conducting peaceful demonstrations against a tenant, National City Puppy.

The Animal Protection and Rescue League filed the suit on November 19 in San Diego Superior Court. They say that property owner Bay Plaza has cut them off from using a courtyard on the property to speak out against pet stores selling dogs raised by inhumane large-scale breeders in the Midwest and throughout the states.

Protests by animal-rights activists against National City Puppy's owner, David Salinas, have been ongoing for years. Salinas, who also owns Oceanside Puppy, was forced to close his San Diego location after the city council passed the Companion Animal Protection Ordinance in August 2013. The ordinance banned the sale of dogs, cats, and rabbits at any place other than shelters or non-profit shelters.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Activists have since followed Salinas to National City, where, they say, commercial real estate owner Bay Plaza is trying to silence them from speaking out against puppy mills.

"Defendants have instead purported to bar all expressive activity from Bay Plaza," reads the lawsuit filed by the group's attorney and animal-rights activist Bryan Pease. "The area that activists wish to use in Bay Plaza in order to protest National City Puppy is the area in the mall that, more than anywhere else at the Bay Plaza, is designed and furnished for congregating, relaxation and entertainment, with many tables, chairs and benches."

The property owner objected to the protests on their property. In an October 1 letter from the property-management firm, the manager barred access to members of the Animal Protection and Rescue League.

"Please understand that Animal Protection and Rescue League does not have permission to protest on...private property. Should your organization be found on the property protesting National City Puppy, [we] will retain counsel to lawfully remove Animal Protection and Rescue League."

Pet-store owner Salinas says the activists are nothing more than "terrorists" who will "spit, yell, and verbally assault his customers." Salinas claims customers, scared of confronting the protesters after purchasing a new puppy, have been forced to sneak out of the back door.

"These activists followed them and harassed them the entire way. These people are all paid to protest by large non-profit groups. That's not illegal but it shows they have money and an agenda," Salinas said in a November 21 interview.

"They use the media to spread misinformation that we get our puppies from large puppy mills. What they don't say is where we actually get our puppies from or they don't talk about the ten-year guarantee we provide to new owners. Instead, they file lawsuits and talk to media about the horrors of irresponsible and inhumane breeders. Those are the same tactics that militant groups like Hezbollah uses.

"It's easy to pull on people's heart strings and show you awful pictures; no one wants to see that happen. But, they don't show you the responsible breeders."

Salinas and the Animal Protection League are currently embroiled in a similar legal battle in Oceanside. Salinas says the group managed to unseat a former supporter from the city council and says a ban similar to the one passed in San Diego will likely be up for discussion in the coming months.

"They are not only taking from me my right to run a responsible business," said Salinas, "but are also stripping the people who are looking for a puppy, who don't want to go to a shelter or some unregulated backyard breeder."

Attorney Pease responded, “None of the protesters are paid. They are all passionate individuals volunteering to educate folks about this cruelty. Many groups and individuals are involved. [the Animal Protection League] has not yet organized a single protest against Salinas but is attempting to by first obtaining a court order that we can, since the mall says we can't. Other individuals have been peacefully handing out their own flyers. And no reputable breeder sells animals in a pet store.”

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Pet pig perches in pocket

Escondido doula gets a taste of celebrity
Next Article

Pacific Beach – car thief's paradise

Take photos of your automobile and license plate

An animal-rights group is suing a retail property owner for First Amendment violations, claiming the owner's management company is prohibiting the group from conducting peaceful demonstrations against a tenant, National City Puppy.

The Animal Protection and Rescue League filed the suit on November 19 in San Diego Superior Court. They say that property owner Bay Plaza has cut them off from using a courtyard on the property to speak out against pet stores selling dogs raised by inhumane large-scale breeders in the Midwest and throughout the states.

Protests by animal-rights activists against National City Puppy's owner, David Salinas, have been ongoing for years. Salinas, who also owns Oceanside Puppy, was forced to close his San Diego location after the city council passed the Companion Animal Protection Ordinance in August 2013. The ordinance banned the sale of dogs, cats, and rabbits at any place other than shelters or non-profit shelters.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Activists have since followed Salinas to National City, where, they say, commercial real estate owner Bay Plaza is trying to silence them from speaking out against puppy mills.

"Defendants have instead purported to bar all expressive activity from Bay Plaza," reads the lawsuit filed by the group's attorney and animal-rights activist Bryan Pease. "The area that activists wish to use in Bay Plaza in order to protest National City Puppy is the area in the mall that, more than anywhere else at the Bay Plaza, is designed and furnished for congregating, relaxation and entertainment, with many tables, chairs and benches."

The property owner objected to the protests on their property. In an October 1 letter from the property-management firm, the manager barred access to members of the Animal Protection and Rescue League.

"Please understand that Animal Protection and Rescue League does not have permission to protest on...private property. Should your organization be found on the property protesting National City Puppy, [we] will retain counsel to lawfully remove Animal Protection and Rescue League."

Pet-store owner Salinas says the activists are nothing more than "terrorists" who will "spit, yell, and verbally assault his customers." Salinas claims customers, scared of confronting the protesters after purchasing a new puppy, have been forced to sneak out of the back door.

"These activists followed them and harassed them the entire way. These people are all paid to protest by large non-profit groups. That's not illegal but it shows they have money and an agenda," Salinas said in a November 21 interview.

"They use the media to spread misinformation that we get our puppies from large puppy mills. What they don't say is where we actually get our puppies from or they don't talk about the ten-year guarantee we provide to new owners. Instead, they file lawsuits and talk to media about the horrors of irresponsible and inhumane breeders. Those are the same tactics that militant groups like Hezbollah uses.

"It's easy to pull on people's heart strings and show you awful pictures; no one wants to see that happen. But, they don't show you the responsible breeders."

Salinas and the Animal Protection League are currently embroiled in a similar legal battle in Oceanside. Salinas says the group managed to unseat a former supporter from the city council and says a ban similar to the one passed in San Diego will likely be up for discussion in the coming months.

"They are not only taking from me my right to run a responsible business," said Salinas, "but are also stripping the people who are looking for a puppy, who don't want to go to a shelter or some unregulated backyard breeder."

Attorney Pease responded, “None of the protesters are paid. They are all passionate individuals volunteering to educate folks about this cruelty. Many groups and individuals are involved. [the Animal Protection League] has not yet organized a single protest against Salinas but is attempting to by first obtaining a court order that we can, since the mall says we can't. Other individuals have been peacefully handing out their own flyers. And no reputable breeder sells animals in a pet store.”

Comments
Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Will L.A. Times crowd out San Diego U-T at Riverside printing plant?

Will Toni Atkins stand back from anti-SDG&E initiative?
Next Article

Pet pig perches in pocket

Escondido doula gets a taste of celebrity
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.