NEW YORK – Soon, customers in New York will no longer be allowed to pick out a puppy from the window of a pet store and purchase it there.
According to the office of the governor, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a bill into law on Thursday that prohibits the sale of dogs, cats, and rabbits at retail pet stores. The goal of the law is to “end the puppy mill-to-pet store pipeline and stop abusive breeders.” The law went into effect immediately after the governor’s signature.
Hochul stated in a statement that animals throughout the state of New York, including dogs, cats, and bunnies, deserve loving homes and compassionate treatment. “I’m delighted to sign this legislation, which will make important measures to cut down on harsh treatment and preserve the welfare of animals across the state,” the governor said in a statement after signing the bill. “I’m proud to sign this legislation.”
Animal protection and rescue organizations have long been in favor of the legislation, whereas pet retailers have voiced opposition to it. Some store owners believe that the new law will force them to close their doors.
“I don’t know if I have the words of what to say if we had to shut our doors,” said Lisa Caiazzo, the co-owner of Petite Pets Puppy Boutique, which has been selling puppies in Huntington Station for the past 30 years. “I don’t know if I have the words of what to say if we had to shut our doors,” Caiazzo said.
Caiazzo stated that her shop is unique in comparison to others. According to her, she only works with one breeder who has a rating of double-A, she does not keep her dogs in cages but rather provides them with cribs to sleep in, and she only sells to families that are a good fit for her puppies.
“We’re like a diamond. When compared to everyone else, we are located in a unique environment “Caiazzo added. “Anyone is free to come in here, whether it be members of the Assembly or Hochul; it doesn’t make a difference to me who comes. What are you going to do if she signs the bill, and it ends up meaning that we all have to pay it?”
Animal rights advocates who are lobbying for the ban have described the proposal as a critical step to halt abusive breeders and put an end to the pipeline that transports puppies from puppy mills to pet stores. John Di Leonardo, president of Humane Long Island, recommends that people shopping for pets do not purchase them but rather adopt them.
According to what he had stated, “thousands of pet retailers have already evolved to work only with rescues,” and “this legislation would put New York in line to do the same.” “If you run a pet business in the state of New York and you tell your customers that you do not get puppies from puppy mills, you are lying to them.”
The rule, which is slated to go into effect in 2024, also permits pet retailers to charge animal rescue groups rent to use retail space for pet adoptions. However, Caiazzo stated that the rent that shelters would pay to use her space would not be enough to keep the business operating, especially considering that the majority of the store’s earnings come from the selling of dogs. She expressed her optimism that the Act would be revised.
She expressed her disapproval by stating, “I think it’s beyond unjust, especially for a pet store like us which has never had a violation.” When the ban is finally implemented, those who break it could face fines of up to $1,000 each time they do so. The Humane Society of the United States referred to the passage of the measure as a “success” after it was finally signed into law.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Humane Society, Kitty Block, was quoted as saying in a statement that “our undercover investigations have shown sick puppy sales and terrible practices in New York pet businesses,” underscoring the need for a “historic law.”
Pet businesses will no longer be able to trick New Yorkers into spending hundreds of dollars on puppies that are frequently unwell and virtually invariably derived from deplorable puppy mills, according to the city’s mayor. The retail sale of dogs, cats, and rabbits was made illegal in California in 2017, making it the first state to take such a step.
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