Update: Sadly, this legislation did not complete the legislative process prior to adjournment.
Bill Description: If passed, this bill would require that pet dealers have dogs and cats examined by a vet prior to sale. Pet dealers also would be required to provide written information to consumers at the time that each dog or cat is sold, including the breeder’s name and address. In addition, pet dealers would be required to refund a consumer’s money if the dealer sells a puppy or kitten that dies within 20 days or is congenitally ill within 2 years of being sold.
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This bill helps to keep consumers informed by disclosing where the puppies offered for sale in pet stores were bred. Puppies, kittens, and other animals sold at pet stores often are bred at mills. These “mills” are facilities at which animals are mass-produced and then transferred to commercial venues for re-sale. Because profits are tied to the number of animals produced, these breeding facilities sometimes increase profits by restricting the amount of space offered to each animal, providing limited or no access to veterinary care, and offering minimal opportunities for socialization and individual attention. Furthermore, these provisions benefit consumers as well as animal welfare. Healthy, well-socialized animals make better companions and tend to stay with their human families for longer periods of time, thereby benefiting the families, ensuring animal welfare, and reducing the pressure on animal control agencies, animal rescue organizations, and animal shelters. Finally, sixteen states already have enacted so-called “lemon laws” — consumer protection measures geared to provide recourse to members of the public who purchase sick or diseased animals from pet shops.