STATEWIDE – Exemptions built into New York’s Puppy Mill Pipeline Law will expire on Dec. 15, 2024, signaling an end to retail dog, cat, and rabbit sales across the state.
The new law, which took effect in January 2024, bans retail pet shops from selling dogs, cats, and rabbits. It does allow those shops to rent space to accredited animal shelters and licensed breeders for the purposes of adopting rescued animals. An exemption clause allowed retailers to temporarily obtain a breeder license through the Department of Agriculture and Markets, which permitted them to continue to sell the aforementioned animals, but as of Dec. 15, pet stores will no longer be eligible for such licenses.
Ted Bell, co-owner of Pet Zone, which has several locations throughout the Upstate region, said the legislation not only doesn’t solve the problem, but it will eliminate a significant resource for legitimate pet sales.
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“There’s just no way to stay open,” Bell said in an interview with The Post-Star Thursday. “This is our life. Everything we worked to build, just gets stolen away from me with the stroke of a pen. It’s foolish, absolutely foolish.”
Bell attests that retail pet stores are a vital outlet for families looking to bring a new pet into their home. While he advocates for adopting from a shelter whenever possible, he said those options aren’t always in line with what a family might be looking for.
“If you have a three-year-old daughter and you go to a shelter and all your finding is Pitt-bull mixes, it’s just not for you at least at that point,” he explained. “People come to us for a reason.”
The expressed goal of the bill is to curb the illicit use of puppy mills as a supplier for New York’s pet shops.
“New York State will no longer allow brutally inhumane puppy mills around the country to supply our pet stores and earn a profit off animal cruelty and unsuspecting consumers,” Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal said when the legislation was signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul in 2022.
However, according to Bell, the bill is too broad, punishing pet stores even if their puppy supply comes from legitimate locations.
“Even if you put sourcing restrictions (on) most pet stores would still be fine because we actually get from fantastic breeders,” he said. “Most of them go through strict USDA inspections; these are the same people that inspect our food, by the way.”
In fact, Bell said, effectively forcing retail locations to close would only encourage more sourcing from out-of-state puppy mills by forcing people to shop online to find the perfect pooch.
“And where do puppy mills exist? They exist online,” he said. “You can have the most beautiful website in the world, that’s easy to maintain… setting up your kennels and maintaining them, that’s hard work.”
Although the law allows retailers to team up with shelters and individual breeders to fill their kennels, Bell said the logistics do not support the effort.
“It’s not a feasible part of the law,” Bell said. “There’s no shelter that can afford to pay the payroll of a pet store to watch their dogs.”
Bell has joined several other New York pet retailers in filing for an emergency temporary restraining order to stave off enforcement of the law to try get some changes made. But with the deadline looming, this dog may be out of tricks.
“If that does not go through, then we’ll be closing (at) close of business on December 15,” he said.
Bell said he’s received “tons of support” from the community and is confident that all puppies currently housed at the stores will go to homes before the Dec. 15 deadline.
“So, I’m not worried about the puppies. What I am worried about is all the people who pour their heart and soul into this business,” he said. “All my employees are potentially losing their jobs 10 days before Christmas. Shame on the state of New York. Shame on Governor Hochul.”
Pet Zone, in the Aviation Mall, located at 578 Aviation Rd. in Queensbury is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Thursday; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday.
