New Jersey Pet Shops Ensure Transparency, Animal Welfare and Consumer Protections
The New Jersey Coalition of Responsible Pet Stores opposes Assembly Bill 4051 and Senate Bill 2511, legislation that would close New Jersey’s regulated pet shops and repeal our nation-leading Pet Purchase Protection Act.
As a coalition committed to animal welfare, we share the Legislature’s interest in shuttering sub-standard breeders and keeping puppies bred in inhumane conditions out of New Jersey. However, this legislation would repeal the strongest consumer protections and animal welfare safeguards in the nation.
A4051/S2511 would dismantle the strongest consumer protections in the nation, and replace the regulated and inspected pet shop experience with an unregulated and far too often unknown marketplace
New Jersey will lose the following consumer protections and animal welfare guarantees if this legislation is enacted:
- Licensed pet shops must provide full disclosure of all breeder and broker information, including name, address, USDA license number and state license numbers, if applicable.
- Licensed pet shops must have all USDA inspection reports available in the store for consumers to review.
- Licensed pet shops are required to submit to the municipalities in which it is located an annual listing of all breeders from whom puppies were sourced.
- Licensed pet shops must have all puppies must be examined by a New Jersey licensed veterinarian upon arrival, as well as every 14 days thereafter.
- Licensed pet shops provide all required vaccinations before they can be placed with an owner.
- Consumers who purchase a puppy that may become sick or is discovered to have a congenital disease are protected from financial harm.
- the PPPA requires licensed pet shops to either accept the return of the puppy for a full refund or be exchanged for a healthy puppy.
- Licensed pet shops are responsible for veterinary bills up to two times the purchase price of a puppy.
ALL OF THESE PROTECTIONS ARE EXCLUSIVELY AVAILABLE FOR PUPPIES PURCHASED AT LICENSED NEW JERSEY PET SHOPS. NO OTHER SOURCE OFFERS SUCH SAFEGUARDS.
- This legislation will not stop unlicensed and unregulated pet sellers in New Jersey.
- This legislation will not stop fake and unlicensed rescues falsely selling puppies from substandard breeders as “adoption” dogs.
- This legislation will not stop online scammers swindling New Jersey families out of thousands of dollars.
- This legislation will not stop unregulated rescues from importing sick animals and selling pets to residents without veterinary oversight.
- This legislation will not stop New Jersey’s shelters and 800+ rescues from selling dogs without providing any protections for consumers or animals.
This legislation will create a pet sales market in New Jersey without guaranteed health checks or warranties, without facilities inspections, without consumer protections and without animal welfare safeguards.