'Shockingly cruel conditions' behind NJ lawmakers' push to ban puppy, kitten sales

With New York's ban on puppy, kitten and rabbit sales in pet shops inching closer, some New Jersey lawmakers are working to stop the market from flooding into New Jersey and end what they call a cruel practice.

New York's ban was signed in 2022 and goes into effect in December.

State Sens. Brian Stack and Raj Mukherji, both D-Hudson and Assemblywomen Shama A. Haider, D-Bergen and Luanne M. Peterpaul, D-Monmouth introduced legislation that will prohibit the sale of dogs, cats and rabbits in pet shops, "effectively cutting off the cruel puppy mill-to-pet store pipeline," they said in a news release.

The lawmakers say recent public records obtained by the Humane Society of the United States are evidence of the urgent need for their legislation to move forward. They say the records "show that thousands of weeks-old puppies have been trucked to New Jersey pet stores from massive Midwest puppy mills that keep dogs in conditions no New Jerseyan would knowingly support."

They say further that at least three stores bought puppies from a puppy mill that racked up over 120 federal Animal Welfare Act violations and stores regularly bought from mills with hundreds of dogs, filthy conditions and stacked, wire cages, some of which "have been cited by federal or state agencies for emaciated dogs, dead puppies, excessive feces and dogs with severe dental issues, open wounds, fleas and lice, injuries and signs of heat distress."

More: He was bitten and starving. But a Marlboro woman trained this pit bull to help NJ veteran

“I’m proud to sponsor A4051, which acknowledges that selling commercially bred, weeks old puppies like mere products on a shelf is outdated and unacceptable," Haider said.

The lawmakers say that the Humane Pet Store Bill (S2511/A4051) also would:

• Shield consumers from misleading sales tactics, sick puppy sales, disease outbreaks and predatory puppy loans.

• Require 17 puppy stores to phase out the sale of commercially raised puppies and transition to the model most pet stores already follow, which is focused on products, services and hosting adoption events.

• Drive the pet market towards more humane sources like shelters, rescues and responsible breeders.

• Codify into state law what has already been enacted in 145 New Jersey communities.

The lawmakers say that the legislation has "widespread support" from animal welfare organizations, humane pet stores, veterinarians and cities and counties across the state, noting that there are 48 pet stores that support the bill, compared with only 17 in the state that sell puppies.

"I am in support of A4051, which will help stop the cycle of animal cruelty perpetuated by puppy mills and retailers looking to make a profit at the expense of vulnerable animals and families. ... Let’s support the vast majority of pet stores in our state that don’t engage in puppy mill sales, and the adoption agencies and responsible breeders who provide a humane source for pets," Peterpaul said in the news release.

“New Jersey pet shops selling puppies, kittens and bunnies raised in shockingly cruel conditions is simply against the values of our pet-loving state. I’m proud to sponsor S2511 to give companion animals the protections they deserve, protect consumers and ensure that the few stores currently selling puppies transition to a more humane business model," said Stack and Mukherji in the release.

Meet Gus: Deal’s newest firefighter is a rescued dog

Brian Hackett, director of government and community relations for Associated Humane Societies said the bill comes at a time when shelters across the country are facing a capacity crisis and are struggling.

"When our shelters receive sick and behaviorally challenged pets people bought from pet stores, we bear all the costs, while the retail puppy outlets make thousands in profits pushing cruelly bred puppies from mills onto unsuspecting consumers," he said.

New York, Maryland, Maine, Illinois, Oregon, Washington, California and nearly 500 localities across the United States have enacted humane pet store laws, according to the release, and Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Vermont, New Hampshire and Michigan have legislation pending.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: NJ lawmakers support Humane Pet Store bill that targets puppy mills