New York state has banned the sale of cats, dogs and rabbits in pet stores in a crackdown on commercial breeding operations that critics have dubbed “puppy farms.” California was the first US state to pass a similar law in 2017, Maryland banned the sale of dogs and cats in pet stores in 2020, and Illinois followed a year later.
The new law, which according to art New York Times Going into effect in December 2024, it instead allows pet stores to partner with animal shelters to offer rescued or abandoned animals up for adoption, and in return allows them to charge rent for the use of their premises for adoptions.
“This is a big problem. New York tends to be a large buyer and beneficiary of these mills, and we are trying to reduce demand at the retail level,” said Democratic Senator Michael Gianaris. The pet industry treats animals as a commodity and does not c ‘is pet store that is not affected.
The new law does not concern private farmers; that is, breeders who sell animals born and raised on their property. Furthermore, farmers are not prohibited from selling more than nine animals a year. Pet stores complain that the law will do nothing to eliminate out-of-state breeders or improve their standards of care and would result in the closure of dozens of pet stores in New York City.
