No more live birds sold in Stockton

From ANIMAL PEOPLE,  January/February 2012:

STOCKTON,  Calif.– “Effective on January 7,  the first 2012
market,  live birds will no longer be sold at the Stockton Farmers’
Market!” Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender Compassion founder Andrew
Zollman e-mailed to ANIMAL PEOPLE on January 6,  2012.
“We worked with the Animal Services division of the Stockton
Police,”  Zollman said.  “They agreed that California Penal Code
section 597.4,”  adopted in 2011 to control abuse of animals at flea
markets and other public events,  “does not exempt live poultry sold
as ‘food.'”

Instead,  597.4 references an exemption  in section 597.3,
that allows live markets to sell “frogs,  turtles,  and birds for the
purpose of human consumption,  with the exception of poultry,”  who
are regulated under other legislation.

“This puts an end to all live animal sales associated with
California farmers’ markets that we’re aware of,”  Zollman said.  “We
are working to ensure that 597.4 is enforced wherever live animals
are sold,  given away,  or displayed for promotional reasons,
including fish not raised or caught by the seller.  We will be
monitoring Bay Area flea markets.”

“We’re going to try to get this law changed, ” Stockton
Certified Farmers’ Market president Robert Groom told Reed Fuji of
the Stockton Record.