Pet Store Ban Begins This Month in New York

A massive change is coming to pet stores across New York state this month!

If you are planning to buy a dog, cat, or rabbit this holiday season at a New York pet store, you will need to do it before December 15th because after that all pet stores will be prohibited from selling them

Pet Store Ban in New York

For many years New York State officials have attempted to find a way to curb all pet stores across the state from using any sort of unethical breeding practices when it comes to the pets they sell. Many pet stores have been accused of allegedly selling pets, oftentimes sick, from pet mills and once a buyer buys a "pet mill pet" they oftentimes find themselves having to spend thousands of dollars in veterinary care to get the sick pet well.

SEE ALSO: New Dog Laws With Sizable Fines Introduced in the Hudson Valley, New York

Two years ago New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced that her office would sign new legislation that is aimed at putting an end to pet stores selling pets from any type of "mill pet" and hopefully promote animal adoptions from local shelters and rescues.

New York Puppy Mill Pipeline Act

The Puppy Mill Pipeline Act will go into effect on December 15th, exactly two years after Governor Kathy Hochul signed it into law in 2022, and will make it illegal for New York pet stores to sell dogs, cats, and rabbits. Many animal rights advocates are celebrating the act, which has been a long time coming including Harold Hovel, Board Chairman of the NYS Humane Association who told WRGB,

"Most of the animals that come to retail pet stores come from what's called puppy mills or rabbit mills. These are places where dogs are sort of confined in cages pretty much all their lives and then kind of thrown away when they're not useful anymore. It's going to prevent some of the cruelty going on in these industrial puppy mills and rabbit mills."

 

Pets Stores Will Face Fines

If a pet store in New York is caught selling any dogs, cats, or rabbits after December 15th, they could face penalties of up to $1,000 for each violation. New York State Attorney General Letitia James, a supporter of the ban said,

"This pet sale ban will help put an end to the dangerous puppy mill to pet store pipeline that endangers pets and cost New Yorkers thousands of dollars in veterinary care."

 

As the new law goes into effect many pet stores across New York have said that the change will force many of them to close, with some filing lawsuits asking the court to halt the law's implementation because they claim there is no evidence the law will improve animal welfare.

The new law does give pet stores the opportunity to partner with local shelters and rescues to promote adoptions. Each pet store can charge the shelters and rescue groups fees for using their space to showcase adoptable pets.