New York Assembly Passes A4283 by a Vote of 133 to 16.
Thank you to Senator Michael Gianaris and Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal for working with CAPS and other nonprofits to finally pass the much-needed legislation to ban the retail sale of dogs, cats, and rabbits in New York. While the senate passed a bill this year and in previous years, the assembly bill encountered problems reaching the floor. But on June 3, 2022, the assembly passed their bill 133 to 16. CAPS greatly appreciates Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie’s role in making this floor vote possible. The bill awaits Governor Kathy Hochul’s signature. We are very proud of CAPS New York Director Barbara Dennihy’s tenacious efforts over the last four years to get this legislation passed.
CAPS President Deborah Howard and our lead investigator recently appeared on The Canine Condition podcast to discuss CAPS’ work in New York and to urge residents to contact their assembly member to support A4283.
CAPS investigated every pet shop in the state, many of them multiple times, and hundreds of puppy and kitten mills that sell to them. When we started our investigation in 2013 for a project with the New York Attorney General, the state had 100 pet shops (currently 58). CAPS was behind regulatory ordinances in New York City, Nassau and Suffolk Counties that impacted the number of stores selling dogs, cats, and rabbits, but regulatory ordinances are not sufficient to stop the puppy and kitten mill pipeline to pet shops.
Read the blog and watch the video about our work in New York that led to the passage of this historic legislation.
New York follows in the footsteps of California, Maryland, and Illinois in passing retail ban laws that do not grandfather in existing pet shops, as in the case in Maine and Washington, We will be working with Connecticut, Oregon and Massachusetts legislators next year. We hope other states, which had previously introduced legislation, such as New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island, will be inspired to move forward once again.
