Animal welfare advocates welcome a New York law banning the sale of pets in retail stores.New York

animal welfare defender of New York is telling Recent Approval statewide laws prohibiting the sale of dog, Cat When rabbit at retail pet stores puppy millCreate a pipeline to pet stores, stop abusive breeders, and help more stray and abandoned pets find homes.

The law, which will take effect in 2024, won’t outright ban pet stores from exhibiting four-legged friends.

“Dogs, cats and rabbits across New York deserve loving homes and humane treatment,” the governor of New York said. Cassie Hochul, gave the green light to the bill on December 15. Hochul said the law “will take meaningful steps to reduce cruelty and protect the welfare of animals statewide.”

Opponents, mainly pet shop owners, fight It can ruin their business, overshadow pet sales, and increase the risk of buying from unreputable breeders. Emilio Ortiz criticized the law as harmful to legitimate retailers and ineffective in fighting bad guys. According to him, the law does not close puppy mills or hold inhumane breeders accountable.

“It does not ban the continued sale of dogs, whether online or in person, nor does it raise the standards of care that breeders must follow,” Ortiz said. Now, is it going to stop bad pet shops working with bad breeders?100%, but it also means responsible pet shops getting their dogs from humanely raised breeders. It would also make it illegal. It would be illegal for them to do it – and they are the people they are going out of business with.”

Matt Bershadker, President and CEO of the American Abuse Prevention Association, said: animaltouted the law as a long-sought victory for animals and their pet parents.

“By ending the sale of cruelly bred puppy milldogs in state pet stores, New York We are shutting down pipelines that allow retailers and commercial breeders to profit from unscrupulous brutality,” Barshadkar said in a statement.

“As a result, New York will go from being one of the nation’s most concentrated pet stores selling puppy mill puppies to a place that refuses to be complicit in this cruel process.”

There are an estimated 10,000 puppy mills in the United States, a number notorious for their inhumane treatment of dogs. These commercial breeding facilities mass produce puppies for pet retailers and also mass produce puppies on a large scale through flea markets and classified ads. American Humanitarian Society Said.

Producing puppies quickly equals profitability in these outfits, so you “ignore” your dog’s emotional and physical health. The organization said there are fewer than 3,000 puppy mills in the US that are regulated by the US Federal Agriculture Service.

“Animals born in puppy factories are often not well,” says Katie Hansen, director of marketing and communications for New York City’s Animal Care Center. “They are not healthy. They have behavior problems.”

“We really want people to go to shelters. We have a pet overpopulation problem here. There are wonderful pets waiting for people in shelters, especially with the economy in the doldrums.” People have a hard time keeping pets,” said Hansen. “We currently have about 600 pets looking for homes and they range from large dogs to small dogs. We have Maltese and Yorkies. All animals that come from us are vaccinated. , sterilized and microchipped.

Benjamin Katz, a New York City attorney who specializes in animal-related matters such as pet management and estate planning, has a similar opinion.

The law “encourages people to go to institutions and organizations focused on supporting abandoned pets and street animals and limiting their sale to breeders who properly care for these animals.” “Puppy mills have produced puppies, cats and other animals for stores based on demand and based on profit.”

Breeders of dogs and cats not prohibited by this law are still working for profit, but the law prevents them from engaging in puppy mill-style abuse. There are strict requirements that

“People are encouraged to adopt rather than go out and buy. If buying, buy from a reputable breeder rather than a puppy store or pet store that doesn’t necessarily follow up on the quality of the pet. That’s what they’re getting,” Katz said.

But some worry that the law isn’t enough to prevent abuse.

Long Island, New York attorney Richard Bruce Rosenthal, who calls himself a “dog lawyer,” said:Structured, the way any of these are structured, it’s not stopping [puppy mill] Stop breeders from selling dogs – It doesn’t stop breeding dogs irresponsibly.

“I’m not in favor of commercial breeding because of abuse,” Rosenthal said.

“But if people are looking for a particular breed of dog and they can’t find it in a store, they will start looking online,” says Rosenthal. “Unfortunately, that’s how it’s all done these days.”