WEST SENECA, N.Y. — There are plenty of pups up for adoption at the SPCA Serving Erie County.
Chief Communications Officer Gina Lattuca said she wants all of them to find their forever homes, but in the meantime, they’ll receive love, food and high-quality care. That’s not the case, she says, for dogs at puppy mills.
“These are animals who are very often overbred,” Lattuca said. “These are animals who very rarely, if ever, see veterinarians. They are kept, for the most part, in very inhumane settings. They’re kept in squalor. Very often you will see 10, 20, 30, 40 animals in one small pen.”
The SPCA and other shelters and organizations have been pushing lawmakers to take action for decades. Two years, ago the New York State Legislature passed the so-called Puppy Mill Pipeline Act, which bans pet stores from selling dogs, cats or rabbits.
It goes into effect Dec. 15.
“They still can have animals to be there to be adopted. It will still help bring customers into the store, but it controls the source of those puppies and where the pet shop is getting them from,” Lattuca said.
However, the Pet Advocacy Network, a trade group that represents retail stores and others, does not believe the law will shut off the so-called pipeline. President and CEO Mike Bober said his members source pets from professional, licensed and inspected breeders and the new ban could actually push people to inhumane black market options.
“Only about 4% to 8% of the dogs that end up in people’s homes every year come from pet stores in the first place. That’s not a pipeline,” Bober said. “And as a result, when a ban goes into effect, it doesn’t do anything to improve animal health and well-being. All it does is put local stores out of business and individuals out of jobs.”
The organization is challenging the law in court, however on Friday a judge denied its motion for an injunction that would have delayed implementation. Lattuca said they’ve waited long enough.
“We truly believe because of the facts and because of the data and research that this could make a significant dent in the puppy mill industry, if you will, in New York state,” she said.
Lattuca said the law will most visibly impact downstate New York because there are not many pet stores actively selling dogs in upstate regions.
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