New York Imposes Ban on Pet Stores That Sell Dogs, Cats And Rabbits

On Thursday, New York became the latest state to impose a ban on the sales of cats, dogs, and rabbits in pet stores to attack commercial breeding operations criticized as “puppy mills”. The law was signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul and will come into effect from 2024, allowing pet shops to function with shelters that offer rescued or abandoned animals for adoption.

Sen. Michael Gianaris, a Democrat said, “This is a very big deal. New York tends to be a big purchaser and profiteer of these mills, and we are trying to cut off the demand at a retail level.”

He expressed that the puppy mill industry treats animals “like commodities” and added, “there is no pet store not affected.”

Pet shops argue that the out-of-state breeders will remain unaffected as the law will not take action against them and they will not increase their standard of care, which will lead to termination of numerous pet stores in New York.

In 2017, California became the first state to ban such sales. The law encourages pet stores to work with animal shelters or rescue operations instead of gaining sales from private breeders.

In other states like Maryland, in 2020, the sales of cats and dogs in pet stores have been banned, resulting in a loss for shop owners and breeders who challenged the law in court. In 2021, Illinois prohibited the sales of commercially raised puppies and kittens.

Pet advocacy groups, in New York, have closed down facilities that bred and sold animals for profit, because animals are raised in poor conditions before being transferred to stores.

“The new law could serve as a death sentence for the business he’s worked at for more than a decade”, Emilio Ortiz, manager of Citipups pet shop in New York City.

Ortiz believes the ban to be unjust to stores in partnership with responsible breeders. He said, “Ninety percent of our business is selling dogs. We’re not going to survive this. They’re closing the good actors along with the bad actors.”

Jessica Selmer, president of People United to Protect Pet Integrity, a New York association of pet store owners described the law as “careless” and “counterproductive” and Selmer hopes the governor will “consider legislative remedies to some of the pitfalls of the bill.”

The law does no harm to home breeders who sell animals raised on their property.

Lisa Haney, a home breeder at Buffalo, with her husband, pledges her support to the law. She said, “One pet store near me, they get dogs from all over the Midwest and different large facilities, and you have no idea where they come from and who the breeder is. People are clueless and take the puppy.”

Her business endeavor, Cavapoo Kennels, partially concentrates on breeding hypoallergenic dogs for people having allergies and focuses on fulfilling basic needs.

Gianaris said, “The law will allow buyers to be more conscious of where their pets come from.” He added, “If a consumer went to a mall and saw the awful conditions, they wouldn’t buy these animals. Dealing with a breeder allows people to see where their dog comes from, and it cuts off the middlemen that serve as a way to wash off the awful activities that take place at the mill.”