ARL celebrating passage of “Puppy Mill Bill”

The Boston City Council yesterday approved the “Puppy Mill Bill” which prohibits the sale of puppies, kittens and rabbits from Boston pet stores, as well as public parks and city streets.

City Councilor Matt O’Malley introduced the ordinance a week ago.  He was inspired by numerous stories of constituents who purchased animals at pet stores that later turned out to be sick, and who in some cases died.

Dubbed the “Puppy Mill Bill,” the ordinance received strong support from the Animal Rescue League of Boston and other local and national animal welfare organizations.

“We are grateful to the Boston City Council for taking action for animals,” said Mary Nee, President of the Animal Rescue League of Boston.  “The more we do to prevent inhumane breeders from growing their business in Massachusetts, the more we improve the safety and health of animals in our communities.”

Yesterday the Boston City Council approved the “Puppy Mill Bill” which prohibits the sale of puppies, kittens and rabbits from Boston pet stores, as well as public parks and city streets!

In recent years, our law enforcement team has seen an increase in underage, unvaccinated puppies and kittens sold in parks and public places.  Concern about the treatment of animals in large-scale commercial breeding operations also inspired our support for legislative action.

Mayor Marty Walsh immediately signed the ordinance and the ban on sales in public parks and city streets took immediate effect.

The ban on sales of puppies, kittens and rabbits in pet stores in Boston will take effect on December 31, 2017.  No new sales of these animals will be permitted in pet stores now that the ordinance is signed.

Boston has joined more than 120 municipalities across the country that have banned the sale of commercially bred puppies and kittens from pet shops—the vast majority of whom are reared in large-scale breeding facilities, which have racked up numerous federal Animal Welfare Act violations.

Said O’Malley of the unanimous vote, “Today is an historic day for both animals and the City of Boston which proved once again that we can elevate the welfare of animals—as well as the constituents we serve—and demonstrate what a humane city Boston is.”

THANK YOU to the Boston City Council for supporting the “Puppy Mill Bill” and to all the Boston residents who contacted their district councilor to support animals in need in Massachusetts!