1.
Bans on Retail Sale of Dogs, Cats, and Rabbits
● States: New York (2022), Illinois (2021), California (2019, strengthened in 2020),
Maryland (2020), Washington (2021), Oregon (2024), others.
● Description: Laws prohibit pet stores from selling dogs, cats, and often rabbits unless
they come from shelters or rescues. The goal is to curb puppy mills and encourage
adoption.
○ Example: New York S1130B (2022) bans the retail sale of these animals,
becoming the largest state to implement such a law.
● Impact: Reduces demand for commercially bred animals, increases adoption rates, and
addresses concerns about inhumane breeding conditions.
● Sources: NY S1130B; CA AB2152
2. Strengthened Animal Cruelty Laws
● Federal: Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act (2019)
○ Makes certain acts of animal cruelty a federal felony, including crushing, burning,
drowning, suffocating, or impaling animals.
○ Source: PACT Act
● State: Many states increased penalties for cruelty, expanded definitions of neglect, and
improved enforcement mechanisms.
3. Pet Custody Laws in Divorce
● States: California (2019), Illinois (2018/2019), Alaska (precursor in 2017), New York
(2021)
● Description: Courts are now required to consider the animal’s well-being when
determining custody, treating pets more like family members than property.
● Impact: Sets precedent for legal recognition of animal sentience in family law.
● Sources: CA AB2274; NY S4248
4. Reporting and Data Transparency Requirements
● States: Texas (2021), Virginia (2020), California (continuing updates)
● Description: Mandates that shelters publicly report intake/outcome data, modeled on
Shelter Animals Count methodology.
● Impact: Improves transparency, accountability, and policy targeting.
● Sources: Texas HB1818
5. End of Cosmetic Testing on Animals
● States: Virginia (2021), Maine (2021), Maryland (2021), Hawaii (2021), New Jersey
(2021), Louisiana (2022)
● Description: Bans the sale of cosmetics tested on animals.
● Impact: Pushes industry toward cruelty-free products and aligns state policy with
consumer preferences.
● Sources: VA SB1379
6. Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) and Community Cat
Protections
● States/Cities: Various localities have recognized TNR as an official method for
managing community cats, granting protections to caretakers and funding for sterilization
projects.
7. Protections for Working Animals and Service Animals
● Federal & State: Laws have expanded penalties for harming service animals and
clarified public access rights for handlers.
8. Disaster Planning for Pets
● Federal/State: States like California passed laws requiring disaster response plans for
pets in shelters and evacuations.
● Impact: Ensures pets are not abandoned during emergencies and improves shelter
preparedness.
9. Breed-Specific Legislation Reform
● States/Cities: Growing movement repealing breed bans and restrictions—Colorado
(2021) banned local breed-specific legislation.
Summary Table
Law/Change Level Year Key Area Impacted
States/Federal
Retail Sale Bans State 19–24 NY, CA, IL, MD Puppy
etc. mills/adoption
PACT Act Federal 2019 US-wide Animal cruelty
Pet Custody Laws State 19–21 CA, NY, IL Divorce/custody
Shelter Data Reporting State 20–21 TX, VA, CA Transparency
Cosmetic Testing Bans State 21–22 VA, NJ, HI, LA Cruelty-free
products
TNR & Community Cat Laws Local Ongoin Many cities Feral/community
g cats
Working/Service Animal Fed/ Ongoin Many states Service animal
Protection State g safety
Disaster Planning for Pets State Ongoin CA, others Emergency
g planning
Breed-Specific Legislation State 2021 CO Dog breed bans
Reform
References
● New York State Senate S1130B
● Congress.gov – PACT Act
● California AB2152
● Texas HB1818
● Virginia SB1379
If you want more detail about any of these categories or the full text of a specific law, let me
know.
