What's happening
This bill limits breeders to selling 25 animals per year and requires pet dealers to source animals from registered rescues or shelters.
Why it matters
Restricts large-scale commercial breeding operations. , aiming to reduce the prevalence of puppy and kitten mills by setting a strict annual cap on the number of animals a breeder can sell.
Shifts the pet market toward adoption. , as pet dealers (except breeders) must source animals from registered, tax-exempt rescues and shelters, potentially increasing demand for homeless pets and reducing euthanasia rates.
Establishes higher regulatory standards and accountability. by requiring animal-supplying organizations to be both incorporated and registered with the state, ensuring greater oversight of animal origins and welfare.
May impact the availability and diversity of certain breeds. in pet stores, possibly making it more difficult for consumers seeking specific purebred animals but encouraging more ethical sourcing practices.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Limit Animal Sales, Encourage Adoption
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to consumer protection
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
7025
IN SENATE (Prefiled)
January 3, 2018
Introduced by Sen. GOLDEN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Consumer Protection
AN ACT to amend the general business law, in relation to the regulation of the sale of animals
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 753 of the general business law is amended by adding a new subdivision 6 to read as follows:
6. (a) No breeder shall breed or sell more than twenty-five animals per year.
(b) All pet dealers who are not breeders shall offer animals for sale obtained from a duly incorporated society for the prevention of cruelty to animals, duly incorporated humane society, duly incorporated animal protective association or other duly incorporated animal adoption or animal rescue organization that is exempt from taxes pursuant to paragraph (3) of subsection (c) of section 501 of the federal Internal Revenue Code, 26 U.S.C. 501, or any subsequent corresponding sections of the federal Internal Revenue Code, as from time to time amended, that is registered with the department pursuant to section four hundred eight of the agriculture and markets law concurrently with animals obtained from breeders.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it shall have become a law; provided, however, that effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized and directed to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13713-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the general business law, in relation to the regulation of the sale of animals
Purpose or general idea of bill
Reduce the number of animals bred in bulk for sale.
Summary of provisions
Section one of this bill amends section 753 of the General Business Law by adding a subdivision 6, that provides that no breeder shall breed or sell more than 25 animals per year and all pet dealers who are not breeders must offer animals for sale which are obtained from a duly licensed shelter, society for the prevention of cruelty to animals, humane society, animal protective association or other duly incorporated animal adoption or animal rescue organization.
Section two of this bill provides that this act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it shall have become a law; provided, however, that effective immediately, the addition, amendment, and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized and directed to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
Existing law
Currently, section 753 of the General Business Law sets forth various consumer protections in regard to the sale of animals, including the right to return an animal if a licensed veterinarian has deemed it unfit for sale, requirement of written notice of rabies vaccination to any customer at point of sale, and provisions giving a pet dealer who contests a customer's claim that an animal is unfit for sale recourse.
Justification
When enacting General Business Law Article 35-D, the Legislature stated that "supervision by the state of the sale of dogs or cats by pet deal- ers is within the public interest and for the purpose of safeguarding the public and insuring the humane treatment of such animals by guaran- teeing the good health of such dogs or cats in the course of such trans- actions, or providing other alternatives to the consumer". General Busi- ness Law § 751. Unfortunately, Article 35-D contains no provisions to ensure that when animals are bred for sale, process is humane.
This bill seeks to ensure that cats and dogs, as well as those who purchase them, are offered the full protection of the law by applying a two pronged approach. First, this bill prohibits breeders from breeding or selling more than 25 animals per year, thus combating the phenomenon of "Puppy Mills" where animals are bred in bulk for profit with little thought to animal safety and long-term welfare. Second, this bill gives animals that end up in shelters an even chance at finding a "forever home" by requiring that pet dealers who are not breeders offer shelter animals for sale along with animals obtained from breeders.
Prior legislative history
New bill
Fiscal implications
None to the state
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it shall have become a law; provided, however, that effective immediately, the addition, amendment, and/or repeal of any rule or regulation neces- sary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized and directed to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.