AUGUSTA – The Maine House of Representatives has supported a bill designed to crack down on the sale of dogs and cats born in out-of-state breeding operations.
The Democratic-led House voted 79-59 to give initial approval to the bill on Friday. It faces further votes in the House and Senate.
The original bill sought to prohibit pet stores from selling dogs and cats that were not born and raised by that shop.
The amended version passed Friday would require pet shops to attest in writing that their animals came from an animal shelter, humane society or animal rescue organization. Existing pet shops would be exempt under certain circumstances.
Supporters say out-of-state “puppy mills” are cruel and inhumane. But opponents said the bill won’t resolve the issue and will hurt businesses.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.