Pennsylvania Lawmakers Fed Up With Puppy Mills - National Humane Education Society
Paws Up!
March 17, 2018
To Pennsylvania Sen. Guy Reschentaler and Rep. Jason Oritay for working to draft new legislation to ban the retail sale of puppies in the state.
According to a recent news article, a new bill to end the sale of dogs and cats in pet shops and flea markets in Pennsylvania is being drafted by by Sen. Guy Reschenthaler and Rep. Jason Ortitay. Pet stores would still be permitted to have available dogs and cats on-site, but the bill would require those animals to be sourced from animal shelters and rescue organizations — not for-profit breeders.
Puppy mills are a major concern in Pennsylvania, particularly in Lancaster County. These large-scale breeding operations provide pet stores with puppies to sell at a mark-up to consumers. If passed, Pennsylvania would be the second state in the U.S. to ban the retail sale of dogs and cats. California passed a similar bill in 2017. Many cities, including Chicago, New York City, Boston, and Los Angeles have also adopted bans of this kind in an effort to stop cash flow from consumers to puppy mills. This bill has not been assigned a number, as it is still being drafted. However, Rep. Oritay is already seeking co-sponsors in the Pennsylvania General Assembly for this bill.
Take action. Pennsylvania residents, contact your legislators and urge them to give their full support to new legislation that would end the retail sale of puppies, kittens, and rabbits. Please feel free to use NHES’ sample action letter below.
Re: Anti-Puppy Mill Bill
Dear Sen./Rep. [Last Name]
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