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Divided testimony as committee considers ban on retail sale of parrots from breeders and brokers
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Summary
Supporters told of high surrender rates and welfare harms; breeders, retailers and trade groups warned the bill would harm small businesses and shift sales to unregulated channels. Committee heard rescue data, small-business impacts and possible alternatives.
House Bill 7334, which would prohibit Rhode Island pet stores from selling parrots procured from breeders or brokers while permitting sales from animal-care facilities, drew extensive and often emotional testimony at the House Committee on Corporations.
Sponsor Representative Tom framed the bill as an animal-welfare and consumer-protection measure, noting an overload of surrendered birds at sanctuaries and a transition period to help stores comply. "Parrots can live up to 90 years," the sponsor said, describing both welfare concerns and long-term care burdens for guardians.
Rescue organizations and volunteers described thousands of surrender requests and chronic welfare issues among birds taken into sanctuaries—self-mutilation, feather-plucking, and behavioral problems—and argued retail availability fuels impulse purchases. Marjorie Drew and other witnesses from Foster Parrots said rescues face capacity limits and presented surrender numbers to the committee.
Retailers and breeder representatives, including owners of Jungle Junction and trade groups such as the American Federation of Agriculture and Pet Advocacy Network, opposed the bill. They said it is overly broad, would eliminate responsible supply, create a de facto preference for specific nonprofits, and drive commerce out of state or onto unregulated online platforms. Jungle Junction owners said their store sells only dozens of birds per year and that they screen buyers carefully.
Committee members pressed both sides for specific data, asked about alternatives such as waiting periods or enforceable care standards, and encouraged rescues to expand adoption outreach. The hearing record closed with the committee taking no immediate vote.
