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New York proposed a bill that may ban the sale of dogs, cats, and rabbits in pet stores to promote the adoption of animals as pets.
Senator Michael Gianaris, the sponsor of the bill, explained that the goal of the proposed law is to eliminate abusive breeders who supply animals to some pet shops. The senator asserted that pets should be respected and not treated as commodities. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) reported that there are around 10,000 dog breeders in the United States, but the Department of Agriculture supervises less than 3,000.
Different advocacy groups reacted positively to the new bill. One group leader said that the bill could help shut down abusive dog breeders and increase chances of rescued animals of being adopted. Another executive from an animal welfare organization said that pet stores should see the issue as an opportunity to collaborate with animal shelters for adoption events.
In light of the issue, however, the president of the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council expressed fear that the ban might negatively affect the profits of local pet stores. He said that it will not effectively solve issues of animal neglect among some breeders. Thus, he recommended making stricter policies for breeders, instead.
So far, the proposal has been approved by the Domestic Animal Welfare committee, and it currently has 17 senate co-sponsors. If signed and enacted by the governor, HSUS said that New York would follow California, Maryland, and Maine, which all have a similar law. As a result, around 80 registered pet stores in the state will likely be affected by the potential ban.