12-02-2025
Kentucky bill could reverse efforts to curb puppy mill suppliers
FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) — A bill introduced in the Senate has garnered serious concern from Kentucky animal rescue organizations.
Many believe it would endanger previously passed ordinances prohibiting the sale of puppies and kittens from breeders.
According to the Kentucky General Assembly, Senate Bill 122 would prohibit pet shops from selling dogs or cats that didn't come from an animal shelter or 'qualified breeder.'
The bill would also prohibit local governments from adopting or enforcing rules, regulations, codes, or ordinances to ban the sale of breeders entirely.
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Paws 4 the Cause, a nonprofit in Lexington dedicated to animal rescue, said the suppliers listed in SB 122 are puppy mills disguised as 'qualified breeders.'
Animal rights advocates also claim that the bill is being pushed by Petland, a store chain with three Kentucky locations, which is reportedly looking to expand.
'Like last year, it's going to take all of us to keep this bad bill from becoming law!' Paws 4 the Cause wrote on Facebook Wednesday.
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In 2024, Lexington passed an ordinance banning the sale of puppies and kittens from breeders in a 12 to 1 vote.
'It's not humane to have a mass breeding operation like that,' Perry Lusby, a former Petland employee, told FOX 56. 'It's not fair to the adult dogs; it's not fair to the puppies; they're being thrown around from place to place; it's not moral.'
'Public records, inspection reports from the USDA, and other documents show us clearly that pet shops that participate in the retail sale of dogs and cats in pet shops are by and large sourcing them from puppy and kitten mills,' Kentucky state director of the Humane Society of the United States Todd Blevins told council members back in April 2024.
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'Under this ordinance, people will still be able to arrange to buy a puppy online or over the phone, meeting up in a stranger's home or in a public place. This legislation does NOT prevent bad breeders from selling to Lexingtonians. Rather, it encourages it, because soon, consumers will no longer have the option to visit a pet store like ours, which complies with all state and federal laws,' Elizabeth Kunzelman, vice president of legislative and public affairs for Petland, told FOX 56. 'There is no evidence that a single puppy mill has been shut down because of a ban. HSUS has vilified pet stores in an effort that does nothing to help animal welfare. Now the only regulated source of puppies in Lexington will be gone.'
Animal rights advocates in Kentucky are asking voters to call legislators at 1-800-372-7181 and voice their opposition to SB 122.
Madylin Goins contributed to this story.
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