Governor Brian Sandoval has signed a bill to make dog leasing illegal.
Senate Bill 185 is a consumer protection bill that bars businesses from using contracts that financially punish customers for leaving bad reviews on websites like Yelp. But an amendment added to the bill prohibis a person from leasing any living animal or consumer good if it had only residual value at the end of the lease.
According to USA Today, the amendment was added after a story in Bloomberg magazine profiled a Reno company that leases dogs but their lending practices often ended up costing customers much more than they originally thought.
The bill labels that kind of leasing a deceptive trade practice or consumer fraud, exposing a company that does so to civil liability. The bill also applies to just about any other item that loses most of its value over the term of the lease, furniture and electronics are exempt.
