Gianaris ask for support on the newly proposed bills. (Senator Mike Gianaris)
April 29, 2019 By Laura Hanrahan
Two Albany lawmakers are asking for support on newly proposed legislation that would ban the sale of dogs, cats and rabbits in pet stores across New York State, while allowing for shelter and rescue animals to be featured in the stores.
Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal and State Senator Michael Gianaris held a press conference on Friday in conjunction with the ASPCA to promote the set of bills introduced by the legislators in the Assembly and Senate, respectively, last month. The bills, if passed, would put an end to the sales that often enable abusive puppy, kitten and bunny mills.
“We must end the pet mill-to pet store pipeline,” Rosenthal said. “Ending the sale of pet store animals will help to end the pet mill industry that supplies the stores. Shelters and rescues statewide are bursting at the seams with healthy animals in need of ‘fur-ever’ homes, there is no reason for New Yorkers to spend thousands on ailment-ridden pets.”
Actress Edie Falco, known for her portrayal of Nurse Jackie, joined the legislators at the event to support the pet mill sale ban. Falco brought with her her dog Sami, who was rescued from a life of breeding at an abusive mill.
“I feel gratitude from her, I feel relief from her,” Falco said. “It’s very important to support this legislation. It’s something I care about deeply, from the bottom of my heart.”
The norm for animals kept in pet mills is dirty cages, limited food and water, and no routine medical care. Older dogs are continually bred, producing as many litters as possible for profit. The puppies, kittens, and bunnies produced from the mills are often afflicted with several medical issues, leaving unsuspecting new owners with expensive veterinary bills.
“With so many good animals in need of homes, there is no need for puppy mills to supply pet stores,” Gianaris said. “Our four-legged companions should be treated with respect, not like commodities.”
The bills are currently being reviewed by the Senate Domestic Animal Welfare Committee and the Assembly Agriculture Committee.
Maryland, California and more than 290 localities across the country have already banned pet mill sales. New York, which has the most pet stores out of every state nationwide, currently has 80 pet stores registered to sell pets, according to the New York State Department of Agriculture. Several of these stores are located throughout Queens in areas such as Astoria, Ridgewood, Flushing, Corona and Sunnyside:
Astoria Pets
31-50 Steinway St.
Astoria, NY 11103
Bob’s Tropical Pet Center Inc.
57-45 Myrtle Ave.
Ridgewood, NY 11385
Empire Puppies
164-13 Northern Blvd.
Flushing, NY 11358
M&M Boutique & Pet Supplies
55-13 Metropolitan Ave.
Ridgewood, NY 11385
Master Pups Inc.
140-06 Cherry Ave
Flushing, NY 11355
Northern Aquarium + Pets
135-02 Northern Blvd.
Flushing, NY 11354
Pets Unlimited
45-10 46 St.
Sunnyside, NY 11104
Puppy Club
149-05 Northern Blvd.
Flushing, NY 11354
Q Puppies
35-15 Prince St.
Flushing, NY 11354
Teacup Pup
70-17 Austin St., Lower Level
Forest Hills, NY 11375
Tropical Pets
37-65 A 103 St.
Corona, NY 11368
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29 Comments
Any news on banning Pitt bulls??? Seriously, those need to be illegal in NYC and all in possession of one or more should be jailed.
Well the owners and family members should be checked out before given for sale and should report if their dog was stolen because some pitbulls who are owned by very good people land up mush faces. And can be used for dog fights. So sad but it can happen
I am in favor of this bill. I have to small dogs I adopted from shelters. They are the most loving and loyal creatures anyone could ever want. Passing this bill would give more dogs like this a chance. I am all for it!
Mike “JobKiller“ Gianaris is at it again! This guy has killed more jobs than the Great Depression.
Thanks for considering the animal abusers
Ha! ?
I think they should stop puppy mills because the poor animals suffer. My era my brother adopted was too long in the pet shop and it comes to me to worry about health problems. This I support him on!!!
This is long overdue and I’m very grateful to those who are trying to get this bill passed!
Amin
Expect the price of a dog to sky rocket now.
The black market for pets will emerge. No king can prevent people from supplying/buying what they want.
If they cant sell them they will have to stop breeding them or I hope govt steps in and has them arrested. They are the real animals and with sickening greedy selfish minds!!!
Rescue dogs are free, why do you need to pay for animal to be bred like that?
Rescue dogs are no always free. There are fees attached to adopting a pet.
This must stop!!! I have been looking for a puppies, but prices or really high, the dog pond here wants $500.00 for ant size dog, if they or not sold then they or put to sleep, this should never happen….
They should crack down on these bastards breeding mills. My poor dog suffers and she is from a puppy mill but I dont want more people to suffer with their pets plus cost!!
Check out Netflix…life in the doghouse….you’ll see real puppy mills…!!
They need to stop breeding dogs for profit….check out the documentary and adopt from them….
“More LIC Condos Sold for $2 Million And Up in 2018 Than Any Year Prior” but idiot politicians go to the dogs as cats and rabbits to get photo ops in what does not reflect societal needs: What a stupid inbred intellectual hypocritical society we have that worries about the slightest emotional issue while enabling systemic transnational failures and disasters so we can worry with them. Sounds like George Orwell’s Reverse World of 1984 of oppression or Huxley’s Brave New World of conformity.
What does your generic rant about “dem libruls” have to do with puppy mills?
We can address more than one problem at a time.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_dilemma
I am so in favor of this. Thank you Mike G.
Finally someone in New York is doing something about this horrific practice of selling animals from puppy mills. Go to your local shelter and adopt an animal who so desperately need a home and some love. I hope this happens.
This is great news! Let’s not forget to include banning the sale of ALL animals, including fish. All LIFE matters!
Job Killer Gianaris-this is your government in action
If someone loses their job because they run an animal abusing puppy mill, then so be it.
Bravo. There is no reason to be selling animals when there are so many up for adoption looking for loving homes.
Meanwhile he voted “Yes” to NY Reproductive Health Act – are pets more important than a child carried to full term pregnancy? I am not a radical – but something seems very very wrong.
Something seems really wrong to me when somebody tries to compare selling dogs in a pet store with abortion…. but I’m not a radical!
the comment is about priorities and the doubtful sincerity of the politician in question
Thank you for educating NAME as to what our politicians priorities should be