Under a new law, New York will prohibit pet shops from selling cats, dogs and rabbits starting in 2024. This is to combat corporate breeders.

Gov. After facing increasing pressure from animal rights activists, Kathy Hochul signed into law the Puppy Mill Pipeline bill on Thursday. This was months after it had passed the State Legislature.

However, pet store owners have been railing against this measure for months, saying that it would force them out of business, and have unintended effects that make it more difficult for New Yorkers get a pet. This could even lead to an underground market.

The New York Times reports that Hochul ultimately sided with animal rights activists while creating provisions to assist the state’s 80 pet shops in the year prior to the legislation taking effect.

New York State became the sixth state to ban puppy and kitten mills after its passage. This follows the lead of Washington, Maryland, Maine and Illinois.

Hochul signed the bill Thursday. Hochul stated that all dogs, cats, and rabbits in New York need loving homes and human treatment.

She said, “I’m proud of signing this legislation, which will make significant steps to reduce harsh treatment and protect welfare of animals across all the state,” in a statement.

New York is home to one of the largest concentrations of pet shops that sell puppies. Half of these are from Missouri, which has been deemed the most important puppy mill state in the US.

The new law, according to legislators, will be used to stop the flow of animals from commercial breeders. Animal rights activists claim that these animals are often abused and ill before being sold to consumers.

They claim that large-scale breeders often force animals to reproduce by putting them in cages.

‘Ending New York State’s puppy mill pipeline signifies compassion’s triumph over the evils of an industry that seeks profits by subjecting innocent animal to barbarous treatment’, said Linda Rosenthal, an Assemblywoman and Democrat who sponsored this bill.

It also encourages potential pet owners to adopt from rescue and shelter organizations that have stated they are full of dogs. Many of these dogs were abandoned by those who needed companionship during the pandemic.

State Senator Michael Gianaris, the sponsor of the bill in the upper house, stated that these animals are loving, living beings and should be treated with respect, not like soup to be taken off a shelf.

“This law will save many animals from being abused by horrid puppy mills, so I’m delighted it’s now in force.”

Hochul signed the bill after months of trying to persuade pet owners to stop it.

People United to Protect Pet Integrity, or PUPPI is a coalition of pet shop owners who argue that the ban would unfairly affect responsible pet shops and do little to stop commercial breeding facilities from being shut down.

They claimed that commercial breeders of pets raise them humanely. However, animal rights groups selected some bad actors to denounce the whole industry. Many of these have been the subject of investigations and lawsuits.

After failing to get Hochul veto the bill, Jessica Selmer, president of PUPPI, stated that if you close licensed and regulated local pet shops, you will eliminate the people who breed pets, insure the health and well-being of new pets with established vets, and guarantee the success and longevity of a pet family.

Ted Bell, who owns the Pet Zone stores in the state, told the Albany Times-Union, that prospective buyers will look to online adoption sites if they don’t have the option of purchasing a pet in-store.

He said that his stores often sell to people who are unable to adopt a pet from local rescues.

Bell stated, “It is shameful to think people will be denied the joys associated with pet ownership because someone believes they are not deserving. But we see it happening.”

According to the Times, Hochul voted in favor of the bill with addendums to help pet shops.

She delayed implementation of the bill until December 2024 and amended the bill to permit pet store owners rent space to animal shelters to house rescued animals.

Pet store owners worry about the future of state pet ownership. PUPPI President Selmer stated that “Disappointed” doesn’t even cover it.

“We hoped that the governor would see through this charade, and realize that this bill was careless, dangerous, and counterproductive to its purposes. But those hopes were not too high.