Pet Advocacy Network Thanks Delaware Legislature for Rejecting Attempt to Close Pet Stores

Bill Would Have Driven Pets, Families Into Black Market

Washington, D.C. – Today, the Pet Advocacy Network thanked the Delaware legislature for passing an amended version of House Bill 131, which will save small pet businesses that were under threat of closing. 

As originally written, House Bill 131 would have banned licensed and inspected pet stores from selling dogs and cats from licensed and inspected professional pet breeders. This would have closed several local businesses in the state, while driving Delawareans into sketchy, less regulated forums like TikTok to look for pets. Following California’s ban on pet sales, an L.A. Times investigation determined that “a network of resellers — including ex-cons and schemers — replaced pet stores as middlemen.” 

After hearing testimony from local businesses and Pet Advocacy Network, Delaware legislators amended the bill to preserve the ability of local stores to sell dogs and cats, allowing these small businesses to stay open and protecting the livelihood of the families that have operated these stores for years in their communities. However, Pet Advocacy Network is disappointed that the bill prohibits new pet stores from selling dogs and cats and does not permit the transfer of pet shops to future generations of family members.

“People deserve to have a choice of getting a pet from a local, regulated business and not be forced into sketchy Internet marketplaces. We appreciate Senator Pinkney for working with us  to protect the existing stores,” commented Sandy Moore, CEO of the Pet Advocacy Network. “Banning pet sales does not stop bad breeders — it helps them.”  

“You don’t end the puppy mill problem by closing one of the few regulated options that exist. You just remove the transparency and the safeguards that protect buyers and animals alike,” said Edward Wagner, owner of Puppies R Us, which has operated for 35 years in Bridgeville, Delaware.