"Where do you stand on gun control?" Thousand Oaks pet shop defends controversial screening question
A Thousand Oaks pet shop's social media pages have been inundated with angry comments after adding an unusual question to its adoption interview process: Where do you stand on gun control?
"I would never go in this store again — never again," said customer Paul.
Shelter Hope Pet Shop says its standing firm against the deluge of criticism that followed after announcing the new question in its newsletter to customers.
"We do not support those who believe that the 2nd amendment gives them the right to buy assault weapons," the newsletter said. "If your beliefs are not in line with ours, we will not adopt a pet to you."
When Shelter Hope Pet Shop sent out the newsletter on June 1, the nation was reeling from a series of major mass shootings — including one that killed 19 schoolchildren and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas, and another in Buffalo, New York that killed 10 Black people shopping at a grocery store. But Shelter Hope reached much closer to home in explaining its decision.
"The shooter that killed 12 innocent humans at The Borderline Bar came to our shop for community service hours," Shelter Hope Pet Shop's newsletter said. "We believe he had scouted many locations and we were one of them. We changed our policy about volunteering after that incident, but now we feel confident to go even further than that."
Shelter Hope Pet Shop says it takes at least an hour to interview a potential adopter, who must be 25 and have a current driver's license. Hopeful dog owners who don't own their own homes must also allow an interview with their landlord and a physical inspection, according to the shelter. And applicants who lie about their stance on gun control may face a lawsuit for fraud, the shelter said.
"I'm a thousand percent behind animal shelters, but I don't think anyone who owns any store has the right to do what she's doing," said Paul.
The newsletter also included an image of the victims of the Uvalde shooting.
Since news of Shelter Hope's position on gun control has become increasingly publicized, gun enthusiasts have review-bombed their Yelp, Facebook, and Instagram pages.
A notice from Yelp's Support team says it is monitoring Shelter Hope's page due to the increase in reviews, and founder Kim Sill has responded to hostile Facebook posts a number of times, reiterating her right to believe in gun control.
The Ventura County Sheriff's Department confirmed it is investigating threats that have been made to the shelter. The threats were made over the phone or through text.
