Shut Down the Puppy Mill Pipeline into New Jersey!

NJ S. 2511/A. 4051—Ends the Retail Sale of Dogs, Cats and Rabbits

ASPCA Position: Support

Sponsors: Senators Stack, Mukherji; Rep. Haider

State lawmakers are considering legislation that will shut down the puppy mill pipeline into New Jersey. This bill would prevent commercial breeders (puppy mills) from trucking cruelly bred puppies into your communities’ stores, ending the Garden State’s participation in the horrific puppy mill pipeline. Cats and rabbits are also included and protected by this bill.

New York, Maryland, and California have passed similar laws, and a growing number of states are considering their own. New Jersey needs to catch up!

The Pipeline

New Jersey pet stores often advertise that their puppies, kittens and rabbits are “top quality” and come from “responsible breeders.” The sad reality is that those animals are trucked in from out-of-state commercial breeding facilities (for dogs, they are also known as puppy mills). These commercial breeders treat animals like products; their only goal is to produce the highest number of animals at the lowest possible cost. As a result, animals are often sick, injured or malnourished and are confined to filthy, crowded cages.

Many of these animals pass through middlemen, called brokers, who buy high volumes of puppies, kittens and rabbits from poorly regulated licensed breeders. These animals are then resold to pet stores in New Jersey. Through this pipeline, pet stores have misrepresented and disguised the reality of where their animals come from, exploiting animals and deceiving consumers.

This harmful system is driven by profit and greed. It continues to exist because New Jersey law still allows the sale of cruelly bred dogs, cats and rabbits in pet stores. Some localities throughout the Garden State have enacted local ordinances to prevent pet stores from selling cruelly bred animals, but the state is dragging its feet, and stores continue to profit from cruelty.

What You Can Do

Don’t wait—contact your state senator in Trenton today. Please use our brief form below to send a message urging your senator to shut down New Jersey’s puppy mill pipeline.

Advocacy Alert

Your Message

Subject Urge Pres. Scutari to Post S. 2511 & Shut Down the Puppy Mill Pipeline

Dear Senator,

Message

As your constituent, I ask you to support S. 2511/A. 4051 and urge Senate President Scutari to post this bill to the Senate Economic Growth Committee. This measure would stop cruel breeders from selling their dogs in New Jersey’s pet stores and make it harder for them to profit from cruelty.

Puppies sold in pet stores typically come from commercial breeding operations known as “puppy mills” that are designed to prioritize profit over the well-being of the animals. In these operations, dogs often spend their entire lives in wire crates without adequate shelter, veterinary care, food or socialization.

Year after year, the pet industry has demonstrated that it is not interested in ensuring the welfare of the dogs it churns out, nor is it interested in transparency or public accountability. These poorly regulated commercial dog breeders have only one goal: to breed the highest volume of puppies possible at the lowest cost for maximum profit. Enough is enough.

This legislation would shut down the puppy mill pipeline that trucks cruelly bred animals from puppy mills across the country to New Jersey’s pet stores. It will also better protect our state’s consumers, public health and animal welfare — while still permitting stores to provide space for rescue groups and shelters to adopt out animals to the public.

Some local laws already prevent pet stores from selling cruelly bred animals in their communities, but large pockets still remain where pet stores can continue operating with impunity, profiting off cruelly bred animals. It is time for the state to do the same and outlaw this practice for good by enacting S. 2511/A. 4051 this legislative session.

Thank you for your time and consideration of my views.

Sincerely,

[First Name] [Last Name]
[Your Address]

Your Information

Salutation *

Alternate Salutation

Most elected officials’ constituent email systems accept a very limited set of salutations. Please select the one you would most prefer.

First Name *

Last Name *

Address *

Apt./Unit

City *

State *

Zip Code *

Phone Number *

Email Address *

Yes, sign me up to receive text messages from the ASPCA*

Yes, the ASPCA may use my phone number to call me

E-mail Opt-in

Yes, I would like to join the ASPCA's Puppy Mill Action Team to receive special email updates about puppy mill campaigns and other animal-welfare news.

We submit your correspondence through officials' contact forms and therefore must provide the information that they require. They may contact you by email or phone in response to your message.

* By opting in, I agree to receive periodic text messages from the ASPCA. Text STOP to opt-out, HELP for more info.

Message and data rates may apply. Terms & Conditions / Privacy Policy

Leave this field blank