Laws Governing Pet Shops

As of June 2005

State	Animals Covered	License Required	Food & Water	Sanitation	Vet Care	Euthanasia	Cage/ Housing Requirements	Unweaned Animals	Lemon Laws
Arizona	Cats Dogs	Registration only	Y	Y	Y		Y	Y	Y
Arkansas	Cats Dogs					Y
California	All household pets		Y (food)	Y	Y	Y	Y	Dogs Parrots	Y (cats & dogs)
Colorado	All household pets	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Cats Dogs Domestic fowl Guinea pigs Hamsters Rabbits
Connecticut	All	Y		Y	Y (cats & dogs)	Y		Cats Dogs Turtles	Y
Delaware	Dogs		Y (food)	Y			Y		Y
District of Columbia	All	Y		Y			Y	Chicks Ducks Rabbits
Florida	Cats Dogs	Y (birds)			Y	Y	Y (birds)	Y	Y
Georgia	Customary pets	Y		Y
Hawaii	Pet animals		Y (food)
Illinois	Pet animals Amphibians Fish Reptiles	Y	Y (food)	Y			Y	Cats Dogs
Indiana	All					Y		Birds Rabbits
Iowa	Vertebrate animals	Y	Y			Y	Y
Kansas	All except livestock & fowl	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Cats Dogs
Louisiana	All except fowl		Y		Y
Maine	All	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Cats Dogs	Y
Maryland	All	Y (birds only)		Birds		Y (cats & dogs)		Cats Dogs
Massachusetts	Birds Mammals Reptiles	Y	Y	Y		Y	Y	Cats Dogs Fowl	Y
Michigan	Mammals except rodents and livestock	Y	Cats Dogs	Y			Y	Cats Dogs
Minnesota	All pet animals		Birds Cats Dogs Rodents	Birds Cats Dogs Rodents	Y	Y	Y	Fowl	Y
Missouri	Cats Dogs	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
Nebraska	All	Y			Y
Nevada	Cats Dogs		Y	Y	Y		Y	Y	Y
New Hampshire	All household pets	Y	Cats Dogs Baby fowl Baby rabbits	Y	Y		Y	Cats Dogs Ferrets Fowl Rabbits	Y
New Jersey	All household pets	Y	Y		Cats Dogs	Y		Chameleons Fowl Rabbits Turtles	Y
New York	All	Y	Cats Dogs	Cats Dogs	Dogs	Y (cats & dogs)	Y (cats & dogs)	Cats Dogs Fowl Rabbits	Y
North Carolina	Cats Dogs	Y	Y					Fowl Rabbits
Ohio	All					Y		Dogs
Oregon	All pet animals		Y	Y			Y
Pennsylvania	Not defined	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y		Dogs Fowl Rabbits	Y
Rhode Island	All except fowl and livestock	Y	Y			Y		Fowl
South Carolina									Y
Vermont	All except livestock	Y	Y	Y					Y
Virginia	All except livestock		Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	All Fowl	Y
Wisconsin	All except reptiles and amphibians					Y		Fowl Rabbits

A requirement in twenty-one states and the District of Columbia mandates that pet shops obtain a license from a particular state or local agency prior to engaging in the sale of animals. Twenty-four states require that pet stores provide food and water, and twenty-one states and the District of Columbia require proper sanitation for the animals housed in their facilities. Seventeen states require that pet shops provide veterinary care to sick or injured animals within their custody. Housing or cage standards have been established in eighteen states and the District of Columbia. Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia prohibit the sale of some unweaned animals. As a result of API-sponsored efforts, California is the first state to prohibit the sale of unweaned parrots. States that are not listed above have not yet passed laws to protect animals in pet stores.

While these laws show obvious progress, much more needs to be done nationwide to protect animals in the retail environment. For example, in seven of the states listed above, the protections apply only to dogs and cats — leaving parrots and other birds, rats, mice, gerbils, hamsters, guinea pigs, “exotic” animals, and cold-blooded animals out in the cold.

How does your state measure up? You can make a difference as a consumer and as an advocate!

1. Use your consumer power to stop animal exploitation by refusing to shop at stores that sell live animals. Choose to support only responsible retailers who do not sell live animals.
2. Never purchase an animal from a pet store. If you feel you are qualified and prepared to provide lifetime care for an animal, adopt one from an animal rescue group, city/county animal control facility, humane society or SPCA, or someone who has lost interest or the ability to care for an animal in his or her possession.
3. Report any inhumane conditions you observe at a pet shop to your local animal control agency and to the appropriate local business bureau or consumer affairs agency.
4. To help strengthen your state laws and improve conditions for animals in pet shops, contact Born Free USA united with API at 1-800-348-7387 or info@bornfreeusa.org.