New York State Bans Sale of Dogs, Cats, and Rabbits

Effective Sunday, December 15, pet stores across New York State will no longer be able to sell dogs, cats, or rabbits.

This change, known as the Puppy Mill Pipeline Act, hopes to help put an end to unhealthy breeding practices and make sure pets find loving homes through adoption at shelters and rescues.

New York Attorney General Letitia James stands behind this new law. She's worried about the impact of pet stores selling animals that come from unkind breeding places, like puppy mills. These kinds of animals often end up needing lots of medical care, which can be expensive for New Yorkers.

Harold Hovel, the Board Chairman of the NYS Humane Association, is thrilled about this new law. He's been pushing for a change like this for years. The Puppy Mill Pipeline Act was approved by Governor Kathy Hochul in 2022, and after two years, it's officially about to become a reality.

It's no secret that many of the animals sold in pet stores come from places where they aren't treated well. Puppy mills and rabbit mills are no place for animals to live their lives, and this law is trying to stop that.

This new law also wants pet stores to work with shelters and rescues to help animals find new homes. The idea is that pet stores can work with these groups to show animals up for adoption and even charge a small fee. This could help reduce the number of animals in shelters and lower the number of animals that need to be put to sleep.

Not everyone is happy about this change, though. Some pet store owners worry it could hurt their businesses. They are concerned that it might make people turn to buying animals online, where there are fewer rules.

In fact, a few pet store owners have even gone to court in southern New York to try to stop the new law from happening. They say it might cause them to lose a lot of money and that there's not enough proof that it will really help animals.

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Despite these concerns, the state is serious about making sure the new rules are followed. Stores that break the law after December 15 could end up paying $1,000 in fines for each violation.