Connecticut pet stores would be prohibited from selling dogs and cats under one year of age under a bill introduced in January.

If enacted, House Bill 5010 would be the first law in the United States to make it illegal for pet stores to sell puppies and kittens, according to the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (Washington).

The stated purpose of the proposed legislation is “to prohibit ‘puppy mills’ and prevent the sale of diseased animals by pet shops.”

However, the bill would do nothing to prohibit puppy mills and would only encourage the sale of sick puppies by unregulated “backyard” breeders, according to PIJAC. “The restraint of trade proposed by this legislation would serve no public purpose, but would deprive prospective pet owners of a reputable and reliable source for obtaining healthy dogs,” said Marshall Meyers, general counsel for the trade organization.

Furthermore, Meyers said, refusing to allow pet stores to sell puppies from licensed facilities, whether from within or outside the state, would provide no benefit to the animals.

Citing a Cornell University study that shows that no source provides healthier puppies than pet stores, PIJAC contends that pet store puppies receive better veterinary care than puppies from other sources.

The bill has been assigned to the Joint Committee on Environment. [March 2005 PET AGE]