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 operations that critics call “puppy mills.”
A new law signed by Gov. Cathy Hochul and set to take effect in 2024 allows pet stores to work instead of shelters to offer rescued or abandoned animals for adoption.
“This is a very big deal. New York is a big buyer and profiteer of these mills, and we’re trying to cut demand at the retail level,” said Sen. Michael Gianaris, a Democrat.
He added that the puppy mill industry treats animals “as commodities” and said, “there are no pet stores affected.”
Pet shops have argued that the law does nothing to stop out-of-state breeders or raise their standard of care, and said it would close dozens of New York’s remaining pet shops.
California enacted a similar law in 2017, becoming the first state to ban such sales. While that law requires pet stores to work with animal shelters or rescue operations, as New York does now, it does not regulate sales by private breeders.
A handful of states followed. In 2020, Maryland banned the sale of cats and dogs in pet stores, triggering pushback from store owners and breeders who challenged the measure in court. A year later Illinois banned pet stores from selling commercially bred puppies and kittens.
In New York, pet advocacy groups have long called for a complete shutdown of facilities that raise and sell animals for profit, saying the animals are raised in inhumane conditions before being shipped to stores.
Emilio Ortiz, manager of CityPops pet store in New York City, said the new law could act as a death sentence for the business he has operated for more than a decade.
“Ninety percent of our business is selling dogs. We’re not going to get away with it,” said Ortiz, who sees the ban as unfair to stores that work with responsible breeders. “They’re shutting down good artists along with bad ones.”
Jessica Selmer, president of People United to Protect Pet Integrity, a coalition of New York pet store owners, called the law “reckless” and “counterproductive” and said the governor would “consider legislative remedies to some of the weaknesses in the bill.”
The new law does not affect domestic breeders who sell animals born and raised on their property.
Lisa Haney, who keeps a dog in Buffalo with her husband, said she supports the law.
“A pet store near me, they get dogs from the Midwest and different big facilities, and you don’t know where they come from and who the breeder is. People are really ignorant and take dogs,” Haney said.
His business, Cavapoo Kennels, focuses on breeding hypoallergenic dogs for people with partial allergies, and his business model operates on a need basis. The waiting list runs from six to 12 months, ensuring that every dog ends up in a home.
Ganaris said the law would allow buyers to be more aware of where their pets come from.
“If the consumer goes to the mill and sees the horrible conditions, they won’t buy these animals,” he said. “Dealing with a breeder allows people to see where their dog comes from, and it cuts out the middlemen who act as a way to wash away the horrible activities that take place at the mill.”