NYC Pet Store Circumvents Puppy Sale Ban, Offering Imported Pups for Up to $38,000
MANHATTAN, NY - A Madison Avenue pet store, Tiny Cuties, is under scrutiny for allegedly circumventing New York’s ban on the sale of dogs, offering puppies bred in South Korea for prices reaching as high as $38,000. The findings, reported by The New York Post, reveal a potential loophole in the Puppy Mill Pipeline Act, enacted to halt the influx of commercially bred dogs and promote adoption.
New York’s law, which defines a retail pet shop as any for-profit business selling animals, prohibits the sale or offering for sale of dogs. State Senator Michael Gianaris (D-Queens), a cosponsor of the bill, confirmed the law applies to both brick-and-mortar and online sales.
Tiny Cuties reportedly avoids physically holding puppies in the store, informing potential customers-as a Post reporter posing as a buyer discovered-that the animals arrive from South Korea and can be picked up upon arrival. The store also specializes in “teacup-sized” puppies imported from Asia.
The Puppy Mill Pipeline Act aimed to “cut off the pipeline” of dogs from abusive breeding operations, frequently enough located in the midwest, where dogs are frequently kept in cramped conditions and profit is prioritized over animal welfare, according to the Humane World for Animals, which supported the legislation. As its enactment, over 60 pet shops across New York State have closed.
“The amount of illegal puppy sales is down vrey dramatically, which means the law is working,” Gianaris stated. “There’s going to be always some bad actors trying to find ways around it.”
The inquiry comes after the state attorney general’s office in july shut down Vanity Pups in Bayside, Queens, for attempting to sell a 10-week-old Cavapoo for $1,800 to an undercover investigator. A lawsuit filed by Attorney General Letitia James alleges Vanity Pups continued to advertise dogs for sale online despite the ban, and describes the store’s actions as “repeatedly and persistently engaged in fraudulent, deceptive, and illegal business practices.” That case remains ongoing.
“A sale is a sale,” said Shapiro, commenting on the financial incentives driving attempts to bypass the law. “As so much money is involved,you’re going to see people try to find ways to be ‘creative’ and push boundaries.”