Why Boston wants to ban guinea pig sales in pet stores

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We may not have as much snow as Mount Washington, but some parts of coastal Massachusetts are seeing their first flakes of the year this morning. While you put on those hats and gloves, and make your way to that almost fully reopened Green Line, let’s get to the news:

Guinea pigs on the agenda: The Boston City Council is slated to vote today on a proposed ordinance to ban the sale of guinea pigs at pet shops in the city. It’s not because city councilors dislike the furry rodents. They’re actually hoping to cut down on the growing number of abandoned and surrendered animals.

• Supporters of the ban say people buy guinea pigs without realizing how much work they require. According to the MSPCA, 60% of the guinea pigs the group has rescued were originally acquired at pet stores, and they spend nearly twice the time in shelters as cats and dogs. “In 2023, we have taken in a total of 383 guinea pigs,” Deb Bobek, the director of operations at Boston’s MSPCA, said during a City Council hearing Monday. “We have also seen a large increase in the number of abandoned and stray guinea pigs, a sign that owners are becoming more desperate for help.”
• The deets: In 2016, Boston passed an ordinance banning pet shops from selling dogs, cats and rabbits from commercial breeders. The new proposal — filed by Councilor Liz Breadon — would simply add guinea pigs to that list. (Cambridge and Attleboro already have similar bans.) If passed, it would mean guinea pigs could only be sold by shelters and rescue animal groups in Boston. The fine for violators would be $300 fine per animal.

We have a deal: If you’ve listened to any of Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s monthly interviews on Radio Boston, you know she’s been focused on the city’s police union contract negotiations as a vehicle for police reform. This week, after months of negotiations, the city finally agreed to a new five-year contract with its largest police union. And for the first time yesterday, Wu and Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association President Larry Calderone shared the details of the deal.

• What BPPA members got: The contract includes a 21% increase in base salary over the 2020-2025 period, including retroactive pay. Officers can also get higher pay for working on a new “high priority” category of construction details.
• What the city got: Wu says the contract includes “significant” reforms, including to the disciplinary process and police detail work. The contract prohibits officers from using arbitration to overturn disciplinary action for a list of specific serious offenses. It allows unfilled detail shifts to be filled by retired officers, college police and even civilians. And it calls for an independent medical examiner to settle disagreements over whether an officer can return from medical leave. (About 10% of the entire BPD force had been on medical leave for over a year when negotiations began.) You can read through a full overview of the reforms here.
• The post-agreement vibe: Calderone says his membership is pleased with what he called a “fair and equitable” agreement. “We help policing evolve,” he said. “I know the famous word out there is reform, but I like to look at it as police evolving.”
• What’s next: Funding for the contract — a total of $82.3 million — must now be approved by the Boston City Council. (BPPA members already voted to ratify the deal on Monday night.)

It’s official: The Worcester Red Sox will soon have new owners. New York-based Diamond Baseball Holdings announced its plan yesterday to buy a majority stake in the Red Sox Triple-A affiliate. The group already owns nearly 30 minor league baseball teams, including the Portland Sea Dogs and Salem Red Sox.

• What stays the same: The WooSox will keep playing at Polar Park and former Red Sox CEO Larry Lucchino will remain as chairman.
• What could change: Diamond Baseball Holdings CEO Peter Freund told the Boston Herald the group should be able to use its scale to bring more big events, like concerts, to the ballpark.
• In other baseball news: The Sox traded outfielder Alex Verdugo to the New York Yankees last night in exchange for three pitching prospects. ESPN has more details on the trade.

P.S.— Today is the last day of WBUR’s year-end fundraiser and we still have $148,000 to go. Over 3,200 independent journalism fans have already made their gift. Please consider joining them to help us reach our goal.