Puppies play in a cage at a pet store in Columbia, Md., in 2019. New York became the latest state to ban the sale of cats, dogs and rabbits in pet stores aimed at herding practices. commercial farming. Maryland banned such sales in 2020.
Jose Luis Magana/AP
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Puppies play in a cage at a pet store in Columbia, Md., in 2019. New York became the latest state to ban the sale of cats, dogs and rabbits in pet stores aimed at herding practices. commercial farming. Maryland banned such sales in 2020.
Jose Luis Magana/AP
ALBANY, NY — New York on Thursday became the latest state to ban the sale of cats, dogs and rabbits in pet stores in an effort to target commercial breeding practices criticized by critics as ” puppy factory”.
The new law, signed by Governor Kathy Hochul and effective in 2024, allows pet stores to operate rather than shelters to provide rescued or abandoned animals for adoption. It would also ban breeders from selling more than nine animals a year.
“This is a huge problem. New York tends to be a big buyer and profiteer of these factories, and we’re trying to cut demand at the retail level,” said Sen. Michael Gianaris. , a Democrat said.
He added that the puppy industry treats animals “like commodities” and says “there is no pet store that has not been affected.”
Pet stores have argued the law will do nothing to shut down out-of-state breeders or raise their standards of care and say it will result in the closing of dozens of pet stores. back in New York.
California enacted a similar law in 2017, becoming First state to ban such sales. While that law requires pet stores to work with animal shelters or rescue operations, like New York is doing now, it does not regulate the sales of pet stores. private breeding.
Several states followed suit. In 2020, Maryland bans the sale of cats and dogs in pet stores, trigger repel from shop owners and breeders who opposed this measure in court. A year later, Illinois banned pet stores from selling commercially adopted puppies and kittens.
In New York, pet advocacy groups have long called for the complete closure of establishments that raise and sell animals for profit, arguing that animals are raised in inhumane conditions before they are transported to New York City. stores.
Documentary – Ed Frerotte, of the pet store Petqua, and the store’s cat Frankie stand at the counter in 2008 in New York.
Diane Bondareff/AP
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Documentary – Ed Frerotte, of the pet store Petqua, and the store’s cat Frankie stand at the counter in 2008 in New York.
Diane Bondareff/AP
Emilio Ortiz, manager of pet store Citipups in New York City, said the new law could be considered a death sentence for the business he worked for more than a decade.
“90% of our business is selling dogs. We won’t be able to survive this,” said Ortiz, who sees the ban as unfair to shops that work with breeders. responsibility. “They’re playing good actors alongside bad actors.”
Jessica Selmer, president of People United to Protect Pet Integrity, a coalition of pet store owners in New York, called the legislation “careless” and “counterproductive” and said she hoped the governor would ” consider legislative measures to some of the bill’s pitfalls.”
The new law will not affect home owners who sell animals born and raised on their property.
Lisa Haney, who owns a dog at the Buffalo home with her husband, said she supports the law.
“There’s a pet store near me, they take dogs from all over the Midwest and various large establishments, and you don’t know where they come from and who the breeders are. People are really clueless and take dogs. child,” Haney said.
Her business, Cavapoo Kennels, is partly focused on breeding hypoallergenic dogs for people with allergies, and her business model is based on need. The waiting list lasts from six to 12 months, ensuring each dog will be in a home.
Gianaris said the law will allow buyers to be more conscious of their pet’s origins.
“If a consumer goes to a factory and sees bad conditions, they won’t buy these animals,” he said. “Dealing with a breeder lets people know where their dog is coming from and it cuts out the middlemen who see it as a way to wash away the horrible practices that go on at the factory. “
