Today the New York Senate Agriculture Committee passed a bill which will prohibit retail pet stores from selling any dogs or cats. Instead, they would only be allowed to “showcase” animals available for adoption from a shelter, rescue, or adoption agency that has no affiliation with breeders.
Senate Bill 1130 now goes to the full Senate for consideration. It previously passed the Senate in 2021, but was ultimately held in the Assembly. As such, it has to be reconsidered this year.
New York residents are strongly encouraged to contact their State Senator today, and ask them to not allow Senate Bill 1130 to advance. Use the “Find Your Senator” tool on the New York Senate website to find the name and contact information for your State Senator.
View AKC’s previous alert for more information on the bill.
Talking Points:
When contacting your State Senator, consider the following talking points:
- Although this bill is being touted as the ultimate solution to ending the problem of bad breeders, fewer than 9 percent of pets purchased in the US come from pet shops. This bill will do little to address any issues associated with substandard breeders; however, it dramatically harms the option to choose a professionally raised, purpose-bred dog.
- It harms responsible pet breeders and retailers who are regulated under federal and state laws, while encouraging the sale of pets that come from unlicensed and unregulated sources that are not subject to federal animal welfare or New York consumer protection laws.
- Since the bill does not allow rescues or shelters to source dogs from breeders, it would seem to imply that breeders should not be involved in rescue work. This undermines the dedicated volunteer efforts of breed experts and breeders who are part of AKC clubs and who regularly help dogs in need get appropriate assessments, care, and rehoming.
- It will ban the sale of pets from known, regulated and inspected sources, and restrict pet shops to only sell pets from unregulated sources (i.e., shelters, rescues, and other similar organizations).
- It will reduce the average person’s access and ability to choose a pet with the predictable type, mandated care, and substantiated health background that come with purebred pets from regulated sources. Individuals who lack the resources or do not have access to private hobby breeders will be the most directly impacted.
For additional talking points, visit www.akcgr.org/petchoice
For more information, contact AKC’s Government Relations Department at doglaw@akc.org.