“The people did it! Thanks to the hundreds of thousands of animal advocates, the Governor has signed into law legislation (A.740A/S3753A) to enable local governments to stop puppy mills and pet dealers like the one in Sprakers that are operating in immoral and unethical ways. This truly illustrates that the most powerful voices in our representative democracy aren’t on the Second Floor of the Capitol or in the Assembly and Senate Chambers; they are in the homes of the people we represent.  And those voices of our animal advocates spoke loudly for those who will have no voice on Election Day.”

Background on the Puppy Mill Bill:

The bill, which was co-sponsored by Assemblyman Jim Tedisco, and prime-sponsored by Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal (D-Manhattan) and Senator Mark Grisanti (R-Buffalo), allows municipalities to enact more stringent laws than those currently existing at the state level by regarding the regulation and licensing of pet dealers. Any new local ordinance must be at least as stringent as state law and must not result in the banning of the sale of dogs and cats raised in a safe and healthy manner.

The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets will continue to enforce existing state laws pertaining to animal care by pet dealers. Under the new law, if a municipality chooses to adopt a more stringent local law, enforcement of the new law will be the sole responsibility of the municipality.

In response to the outrage over the puppy mill in Sprakers (MontgomeryCounty), Tedisco was the first state legislator to speak out to call for the protection of the scores of Collies and other dogs and led a grassroots effort for New Yorkers to call the Governor and urge him to sign the bill into law.

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