New York to ban pet stores from selling animals by 2024

New York state will bar pet retailers from selling dogs, cats, and rabbits by December 2024 under a new law signed by Governor Kathy Hochul, which seeks to stop animal supply from so-called puppy mills.

According to Hochul, the ban will help protect animal welfare and clamp down on abusive, wholesale breeders.

California, Illinois, Maine, Maryland and Washington have instituted similar bans on such sales.

The law lets pet stores work with animal shelters to encourage adoptions, including rental space.

She emphasized that dogs, cats, and rabbits across New York deserve loving homes and humane treatment.

American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals CEO Matt Bershadker said it was a “historic win” for both animals and consumers.

Bershadker said that by ending the sale of puppy mill dogs in pet shops, New York is closing the conduit that allows retail merchants and industrial breeders to make money off of unconscionable brutality.

Some pet-related firms expressed concern that it would hurt legitimate operators

In a Facebook post, Selmer's Pet Land in Suffolk County on Long Island, New York, issued a warning that the legislation will encourage irresponsible breeders to thrive on the black market and make it more challenging to have a pet.

According to Jessica Selmer, president of People United to Protect Pet Integrity, , by ending licensed and regulated local pet stores, it would remove the people who vet breeders, ensure the health of newly homed pets with established veterinarians, and guarantee the success of a new pet family.