Success: Sale of Commercially Bred Animals Banned in Local Pet Stores

Target: New York Governor, Andrew Cuomo

Goal: Praise decision to allow local governments to regulate animal sales, encouraging a ban on commercially bred cats and dogs.

Thanks to Governor Cuomo passing the Puppy Mill Bill, a local government in New York is the first in the state to ban the sale of commercially bred cats and dogs. Cuomo’s bill allowed local governments in New York to put in place stricter laws to crack down on puppy mills and the pet stores that sell these animals. Despite the strong support from New Yorkers and petitions on ForceChange, few people knew the impact of this bill until the Village of Mamaroneck became the first local government in New York to ban the sale of commercially bred animals in their jurisdiction.

Animals that come from puppy mills are mass bred and typically treated in an inhumane way. Before the passing of the Puppy Mill Bill, New York’s local governments did not have the freedom to pass stricter puppy mill laws within their borders. At the time, New York City stores also sold more puppies than any other city in the U.S., which increased the urgency the state felt to do something about the growing puppy mill concern.

The new law in Mamaroneck requires pet stores to source cats and dogs from shelters and animal humane societies or animals registered with the New York Department of Agriculture. This effectively bans the sale of animals sourced from commercial breeders. Violations can lead to a misdemeanor and fines ranging from $250 to $1,000.

Show your support for Andrew Cuomo’s signing of the Puppy Mill Bill, and its subsequent application in Mamaroneck, by signing this petition. Together we can help put more puppy mills out of business and encourage pet stores and the people who buy from them to re-home animals raised and cared for in more humane conditions.

PETITION LETTER

Dear Governor Cuomo,

I write this letter to thank you for your longstanding commitment to animal rights. I respect your prioritization of the issue. Your most outstanding philanthropy thus far involved signing the Puppy Mill Bill, which has granted local governments the right to create and enforce stricter laws regarding the sale of such animals.

As a direct result of this provision, the Village of Mamaroneck recently made history when it became the first local government in New York to utilize the Puppy Mill Bill you passed. They did so by requiring local pet stores in the village to source all their animals from animal shelters and humane societies.

This would not have been possible had you not signed the Puppy Mill Bill. This important piece of legislature will not just change how pet stores source animals for sale but also changes the lives of many animals who would have otherwise remained in animal shelters for years and maybe even their entire lifetime. You have truly made a difference and we thank you for that.

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

Photo Credit: Shashank Kumawat