Photo of petition-gathering outside of Sprouts in Lemon Grove courtesy Amit Dhuleshia
By Karen Pearlman
Jan. 22, 2026 (Lemon Grove) -- A group of Lemon Grove residents and regional animal welfare advocates are launching a formal bid to update local pet sale regulations, aiming to make Lemon Grove the next California city to prohibit the retail sale of commercially bred birds.
A proposed "Rescue-Only Pet Store Standards" initiative seeks to expand existing state protections that currently cover only dogs, cats and rabbits. Since signature gathering began on Jan. 10, petitioners report collecting hundreds of signatures from local voters as they move toward qualifying for the November 2026 municipal ballot.
Under the proposed Lemon Grove ordinance, Chapter 6.10, pet stores within city limits would be prohibited from selling any bird unless it was obtained from an animal shelter, humane society or nonprofit rescue organization.
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