ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10)– The legislature is one step closer to ending the puppy mill pipeline in New York State. If this bill passes and gets signed into law, New York State pet stores will no longer be able to sell dogs, cats, and rabbits that come from mills.
“It is a facility where profits are generally the priority over the care and well being of the animals,” explained Bill Ketzer, Senior Legislative Director for ASPCA’s Eastern Division.
Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal said it’s time to put an end to this cruelty.
“We know the vast, vast majority of those animals come from puppy mills which are really torture chambers for animals where they are bred over and over again, and many many of the animals are genetically compromised. They are sick. So when we feed the pipeline— taking animals from where they are bred to New York’s stores, we are enabling that kind of thing to continue,” said Rosenthal.
The New York State Senate recently passed a bill to prohibit this.
Senator Michael Gianaris said in a statement, “ With so many good animals in need of rescue, there is no need for puppy mills that abuse animals to supply pet stores. Our four-legged companions should be treated with respect, not like commodities.”
This legislation would also promote the adoption of shelter animals, which could occupy the space in pet stores instead.
“It’s a perfect way to do this,” said Rosenthal. “They’ve done it in California, it works. Stores don’t go out of business because the majority of the money they make is from the training sessions, the clothes, the litter, the food. There is an abundance of things that people will buy for their animals that they wouldn’t buy for themselves.”
Those who would like pure bred animals are encouraged to buy them from reputable breeders.
In the Assembly, this bill has yet to pass, but I’m told it has over 80 sponsors on both sides of the isle. Rosenthal would like to see it get done before the end of session.
This legislation would go into effect a year after it gets signed into law.
