New York’s Puppy Mill Pipeline Act is set to go into effect December 15 and many are now having second thoughts about its implementation. No one disagrees that puppy mills and other nefarious pet dealers should be put out of business, but bans on anything often have unintended circumstances and Assemblywoman Jodi Giglio (R,C-Riverhead) certainly thinks this is the case with this law.
Assemblywoman Giglio voted for the bill back in 2022 but now has serious reservations. She believes that not only will the law not put much of a dent into the puppy mill pipeline, but it will also harm local pet shops in a way that was not intended, and not well understood when the original bill was presented to the legislature.
Giglio asked Governor Kathy Hochul to delay the implementation of the law so that additional conversations and considerations could be had. No one is in favor of the harsh and cruel conditions of puppy mills and at the same time no one wants reputable pet shops to be punished when they operate above board and have done so for decades.
Giglio said, “This well-intentioned bill" ignores the majority of pet shops that run their businesses with "the strictest standards for sourcing their animals."
Although the new law does allow pet shops to charge pet adoption organizations rent to operate within their pet shops, owners do not think the revenue from charges to adoption agencies will come close to what is generated from operating as they do now. Margins are already close and rents are high. Many pet shops see shuttered businesses in their future.
“I'm getting a bit of a bad rap from some because people are saying I don't want to shut down puppy mills and that couldn't be further from the truth. It goes without saying that those bad actor pet dealers need to be shut down,” Giglio said. “Pet stores are already highly regulated in New York State and I think creating conditions where locally owned pet shops will be forced to close creates a situation where the puppy mill pipeline will thrive. People will have no alternative other than to go online and order a dog from some unknown third party.”
Giglio was clear that a blanket ban on pet sales in reputable shops would put their employees out of work as generational businesses go dark. She said another fear is that “when people start buying pets online they're going to find out that the pet is sick and they're not going to have the money to take care of the dog. People who bought a dog unknowingly from a puppy mill are going to wind up surrendering these pets to shelters that are already overtaxed.
In response to the recently passed law, Giglio reintroduced an alternative piece of legislation she had sponsored in 2022 to amend the education law, the agriculture and markets law, and the general business law (A.6560-A of 2021-2022). She said, “This bill takes a balanced approach to animal welfare by focusing on transparency, accountability, and consumer protection. It requires veterinarians to disclose the cause of death for certain companion animals, authorizes inspections of pet dealers’ facilities following certain animal deaths, and mandates the Department of Agriculture and Markets develop a public rating system for pet dealers.
Giglio’s bill also seeks to protect consumers by requiring pet dealers to reimburse them if an animal dies within six months of purchase.
“At first glance, the idea of preventing the sale of animals bred in inhumane conditions sounds like a step in the right direction, and for many of us who care deeply about animal welfare, it seems like a win. Our local pet stores are integral to our community, providing jobs, education, and support for responsible pet ownership. No one, least of all pet store owners, wants to see animals suffer unsanitary, overcrowded conditions. The proposed legislation takes a one-size-fits-all approach that doesn’t reflect the dedication many pet stores have to safe and humane practices. We need legislation like A.6560-A (2021-22) to address unlawful breeding practices without penalizing our hardworking small business owners and their employees.