LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – A bill cracking down on puppy mills is heading to the Nevada Senate. Assembly Bill 487 would prohibit pet stores from selling dogs and cats for profit. The bill passed in the Nevada Assembly by a 32-9 vote.
Advocates for the bill said it would allow retail pet stores to work with animal shelters or rescues for adoption purposes, with no compensation provided.
“We have a number of shelters in our community, both in northern Nevada and southern Nevada, that are bursting at the seams with wonderful, adorable, and adoptable pets,” Nevada State Director of Humane World for Animals Rebecca Goff said.
AB 487 would prohibit a pet store from selling, offering to sell, bartering, auctioning, or transferring ownership of any dog or cat with certain exceptions for animal shelters and rescue organizations.
“This is really important for the state because what it would do is it would end that puppy mill to pet store pipeline that’s trucking in all these puppies from Midwestern puppy mills into Nevada,” Goff said. “Those animals are raised in deplorable conditions. Even puppy mills that meet the USDA standards, those standards are bare minimum at best.”
The bill is often referred to as Cindy Lou’s Law, named after a Havanese puppy who was left in the back room of a puppy boutique and later died of liver failure. The health and safety of animals and owners is a concern among advocates for AB 487.
“I bought a puppy from Petland in Boca Park,” Owner of Paws on Point Christine Miller said. “Six months later, she died.”
“Retail pet sales bans/restrictions limit consumer protections and choice while doing nothing to actually help dogs.” – American Kennel Club, an opponent of the bill, said in a statement.
However, Goff said there is a middle ground for both sides.
“[Retail pet stores] can still partner with rescues, have pet adoptions to bring people into the stores, but just sell products and services instead of live animals,” Goff said.
For people looking for a new furry friend, Miller said adoption is the way to go.
“I would prefer people to adopt from the shelter since they’re completely booked out and full,” Miller said.
If you’re looking for a specific breed, the Humane World for Animals recommends seeking out a reputable breeder.
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