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{"id":48580,"date":"2019-01-15T18:00:12","date_gmt":"2019-01-15T22:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/?p=48580"},"modified":"2019-01-15T17:12:44","modified_gmt":"2019-01-15T21:12:44","slug":"lawmakers-aim-to-ban-predatory-pet-leasing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/2019\/01\/15\/lawmakers-aim-to-ban-predatory-pet-leasing\/","title":{"rendered":"Lawmakers Aim to Ban Predatory Pet Leasing"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ve all heard about leasing a car, but how about a cat or a dog?<\/p>\n<p>Animal rights groups say these so called, \u2018lease-to-own schemes\u2019 prey on people\u2019s love of animals, but newly filed legislation aims to ban the practice in Florida.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 {\n\t\t\t\tmargin: auto;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-item {\n\t\t\t\tfloat: left;\n\t\t\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\n\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\twidth: 33%;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 img {\n\t\t\t\tborder: 2px solid #cfcfcf;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-caption {\n\t\t\t\tmargin-left: 0;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes\/media.php *\/\n\t\t<\/style>\n\t\t<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-48580 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/2019\/01\/15\/lawmakers-aim-to-ban-predatory-pet-leasing\/leasing-pets00000001\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Leasing-Pets00000001-200x113.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Leasing-Pets00000001-200x113.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Leasing-Pets00000001-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Leasing-Pets00000001.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/2019\/01\/15\/lawmakers-aim-to-ban-predatory-pet-leasing\/leasing-pets00000003\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Leasing-Pets00000003-200x113.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Leasing-Pets00000003-200x113.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Leasing-Pets00000003-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Leasing-Pets00000003.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/2019\/01\/15\/lawmakers-aim-to-ban-predatory-pet-leasing\/leasing-pets00000002\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Leasing-Pets00000002-200x113.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Leasing-Pets00000002-200x113.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Leasing-Pets00000002-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Leasing-Pets00000002.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>Carol Hoover owns Carol\u2019s Critters.<\/p>\n<p>She\u2019s been in business for nearly 30 years, but when we asked her if she had ever heard of pet leasing, she was dumbfounded.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou know, a car or something maybe, but I’ve never heard of leasing a pet. It’s obviously something we would not do here,\u201d said Hoover.<\/p>\n<p>Her reaction isn\u2019t surprising.<\/p>\n<p>So called, ‘lease-to-own’ options only began gaining popularity over the past few years and are most commonly offered for purebred dog sales.<\/p>\n<p>However, the bill filed by Democratic Senator Annette Taddeo would ban the practice in Florida for all pets.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t\t\t#gallery-2 {\n\t\t\t\tmargin: auto;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-2 .gallery-item {\n\t\t\t\tfloat: left;\n\t\t\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\n\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\twidth: 33%;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-2 img {\n\t\t\t\tborder: 2px solid #cfcfcf;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-2 .gallery-caption {\n\t\t\t\tmargin-left: 0;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes\/media.php *\/\n\t\t<\/style>\n\t\t<div id='gallery-2' class='gallery galleryid-48580 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/2019\/01\/15\/lawmakers-aim-to-ban-predatory-pet-leasing\/leasing-pets00000006\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Leasing-Pets00000006-200x113.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Leasing-Pets00000006-200x113.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Leasing-Pets00000006-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Leasing-Pets00000006.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/2019\/01\/15\/lawmakers-aim-to-ban-predatory-pet-leasing\/leasing-pets00000008\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Leasing-Pets00000008-200x113.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Leasing-Pets00000008-200x113.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Leasing-Pets00000008-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Leasing-Pets00000008.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/2019\/01\/15\/lawmakers-aim-to-ban-predatory-pet-leasing\/leasing-pets00000007\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Leasing-Pets00000007-200x113.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Leasing-Pets00000007-200x113.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Leasing-Pets00000007-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Leasing-Pets00000007.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>Jennifer Hobgood with the ASPCA calls the practice, predatory and deceptive.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe problem is most people don’t read the fine print,\u201d said Hobgood. “They don’t realize they’re signing a lease and that they won’t actually own the dog until they make payments over a long period of time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Some victims of lease-to-own schemes report spending as much as three times the list price of a pet.<\/p>\n<p>For some dog breeds that can add up to thousands of dollars.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEven if the dog passes away, dies, runs away, if they can’t keep the animal anymore and have to surrender it to a shelter they’re still paying for that dog for often times years,\u201d said Hobgood.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t\t\t#gallery-3 {\n\t\t\t\tmargin: auto;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-3 .gallery-item {\n\t\t\t\tfloat: left;\n\t\t\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\n\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\twidth: 33%;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-3 img {\n\t\t\t\tborder: 2px solid #cfcfcf;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-3 .gallery-caption {\n\t\t\t\tmargin-left: 0;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes\/media.php *\/\n\t\t<\/style>\n\t\t<div id='gallery-3' class='gallery galleryid-48580 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/2019\/01\/15\/lawmakers-aim-to-ban-predatory-pet-leasing\/leasing-pets\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Leasing-Pets-200x113.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Leasing-Pets-200x113.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Leasing-Pets-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Leasing-Pets.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/2019\/01\/15\/lawmakers-aim-to-ban-predatory-pet-leasing\/leasing-pets00000009\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Leasing-Pets00000009-200x113.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Leasing-Pets00000009-200x113.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Leasing-Pets00000009-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Leasing-Pets00000009.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/2019\/01\/15\/lawmakers-aim-to-ban-predatory-pet-leasing\/leasing-pets00000004\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Leasing-Pets00000004-200x113.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Leasing-Pets00000004-200x113.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Leasing-Pets00000004-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Leasing-Pets00000004.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>If purchasers can\u2019t pay, the family pet could legally be taken away by the leasing company.<\/p>\n<p>For Carol Hoover, the thought of using a pet as collateral is reprehensible.<br \/>\n\u201cIt must just not be anybody with any heart, any emotions, any clue what they’re doing to people if they would take their animal away from them,\u201d said Hoover.<\/p>\n<p>So far three states have banned lease-to-own schemes.<\/p>\n<p>Animal rights groups hope Florida will become the fourth this year.<\/p>\n<p>According to the ASPCA, of the approximately 65 puppy-selling stores in Florida, all but 6 offer leasing options.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We\u2019ve all heard about leasing a car, but how about a cat or a dog? Animal rights groups say these so called, \u2018lease-to-own schemes\u2019 prey on people\u2019s love of animals, but newly filed legislation aims to ban the practice in Florida. Carol Hoover owns Carol\u2019s Critters. She\u2019s been in business for nearly 30 years, but […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":132,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48580"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/132"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48580"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48580\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48608,"href":"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48580\/revisions\/48608"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48580"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48580"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48580"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}