Yes, really. A San Francisco commission is now pushing to ban pet stores from selling animals entirely. Not just puppy mills. Not just exotic wildlife. All animals. Your kid wants a goldfish? Better figure out the adoption paperwork. Looking for a hamster? Hope you enjoy navigating a rescue organization's home inspection process.

The irony here is almost too perfect. San Francisco is simultaneously trying to cut the number of city commissions to streamline government — while existing commissions are busy dreaming up new ways to micromanage the lives of residents and regulate businesses out of existence. One Bay Area resident pointed out this contradiction immediately, noting the city is trying to reduce commissions at the exact same time they're cooking up proposals like this.

And the collateral damage goes beyond the obvious. As one local noted, "Not many aquarium stores left in the city, but this would close all of them." We're talking about wiping out niche small businesses that have somehow survived San Francisco's already brutal regulatory and rent environment — over what, exactly? The moral status of a neon tetra?

Look, nobody is pro-puppy mill. Reasonable regulations around sourcing animals from ethical breeders? Fine, let's talk. But a blanket ban on selling animals at pet stores is the kind of maximalist, ideology-driven overreach that makes San Francisco a national punchline. It treats every pet store owner like an animal abuser and every potential pet buyer like a suspect.

Meanwhile, the city can't keep its own streets clean or its transit running on time. Maybe — and this is just a thought — we could focus finite government energy on problems that actually threaten public health and safety before we start policing the guppy trade.

San Francisco's commissions need fewer projects, not more. This proposal deserves a quick trip to the circular file.