Gun control opponents can’t adopt pets at this California shelter. ‘Do not come to us’
%20(1)_fitted%20(1).png "Screenshot of Shelter Hope Pet Shop’s Facebook page.")
A California animal shelter says it will not allow adoptions of pets to those who don’t support gun control measures.
Shelter Hope Pet Shop in Thousand Oaks, about 40 miles west of Los Angeles, recently announced its new policy in light of recent mass shootings across the nation, the shelter’s owner, Kim Sill, said on the organization’s website.
“If you believe that it is our responsibility to protect ourselves in public places and arm ourselves with a gun — do not come to us to adopt a dog,” Sill wrote.
Even before people can book an appointment or visit the shelter, Sill said, staff will “grill you” with questions.
“If we ask you ‘do you care about children being gunned down in our schools?’ If you hesitate, because your core belief is that you believe teachers need to carry firearms, then you will not get approved to adopt from us,” Sill said.
To adopt a dog with the shelter, individuals must participate in at least an hourlong interview, be 25 years old and provide a driver’s license, according to Sill. Further, the shelter requires you to allow a home inspection.
“If you lie about being a NRA supporter, make no mistake, we will sue you for fraud,” Sill wrote.
Sill’s words come in the aftermath of the recent mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, that left 19 children and two teachers dead.
However, on a more personal note for Sill, the decision comes after encountering the gunman from a 2018 mass shooting that left 12 dead in Thousand Oaks, she wrote.
The gunman, she said, had volunteered at the shelter.
“We believe he had scouted many locations and we were one of them,” Sill wrote. “We changed our policy about volunteering after that incident, but now we feel confident to go even further than that.”
Many people are criticizing the new policy.
“Having this asinine political litmus test comes at the expense of needy and homeless dogs and cats,” NRA spokeswoman Amy Hunter told NBC.
Others echoed the sentiment, with one commenter calling it a “pathetic stance” in response to the shop’s Facebook post about the matter.
“I’m all for having your own opinion and beliefs, but to refuse to provide a caring home for an animal to prove your point is ridiculous,” the user wrote.
Regardless, Sill said she believes the shelter’s stance can make an “impact.”
“Shelter Hope Pet Shop in no way will continue to operate if we are even remotely part of the problem,” she wrote.
Some Facebook users also chimed in to agree with Sill’s approach.
“I just want to thank you for doing your part and ‘walking the walk’ on this issue! Change starts with individuals in our communities,” one user commented.
This story was originally published June 13, 2022 at 7:46 PM with the headline "Gun control opponents can’t adopt pets at this California shelter. ‘Do not come to us’."
