New York City Passed Legislation Banning the Sale of Dogs and Cats in Pet Stores

Yesterday, The New York City Council passed a bill to prohibit the sale of dogs and cats in retail pet shops. Any person who sells an animal will be required to receive a permit from the city’s Health Department. The legislation is a step toward ending the puppy mill pipeline, a cruel, for-profit practice that has harmed pets for years.

In puppy mills, mother dogs are kept in inhumane conditions, living in unsanitary cages without access to veterinary care, individualized attention, or adequate space. After a litter is born, the pups are taken away and sold to pet stores. According to the Humane Society of the United States, there are about 10,000 puppy mills currently active in the United States.

“They say that a moral progress of a society can be judged by the way its animals are treated, and I think we’re here today because we can all agree that the greatest city in the world needs to do a much better job at being the most humane city in the world,” Council Member Justin Brannan said at a hearing for the bill. Legislators heard from representatives from the Mayor’s Office of Animal Welfare, Animal Care Centers of New York City (ACC), the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), and other concerned residents and activists. The bill passed on a 40-5 vote.

The bill brings the city into alignment with a state law, the Puppy Mill Pipeline Act, that is set to take effect December 15. The act was signed into law in 2022, followed by a two year period allowing pet-sellers to prepare for the transition.

Other states have already restricted pet stores from selling dogs and cats. California was the first to do so when they passed the Pet Rescue and Adoption Act in 2017. Maryland, Maine, Washington, Illinois, and Oregon have similar laws on the books — and many cities have passed local legislation.

“The cute puppies, kittens, and bunnies in pet store windows mask a sad reality: these animals are products of horrific neglect in puppy mills,” Manhattan Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal said in 2022. “Puppy, kitty, and bunny mills use and abuse animals to churn out pets for sale, which are often riddled with congenital diseases that cost unsuspecting consumers hundreds or thousands of dollars in veterinary bills and incalculable emotional stress.”

Last week, New York Attorney General Letitia James  sent a press release to licensed pet sellers reminding them of the new legislation. “With the holiday season approaching, so too is the effective date of the Puppy Mill Pipeline Act. We write to remind you that as of December 15, 2024, New York pet stores will no longer be permitted to sell dogs, cats, and rabbits,” she wrote. “Violators of the Puppy Mill Pipeline Act can be subject to an enforcement action by the Office of the Attorney General, which could result in monetary penalties.”