SALISBURY, Md. - The state of Maryland wants to make sure animals bought at a pet store don't come from a puppy mill. However, a recently passed law about that is now being challenged in court.
The ban would restrict where pet stores get their cats and dogs. The stores would be required to buy their animals from shelters, rescues, or local certified breeders. It was passed in 2018 and is set to take effect in January 2020. But, companies across the bridge are calling it unconstitutional.
"I think our pet stores have gone unregulated for a long time. It's not only the puppy mills are unregulated, it's the pet stores [that] are unregulated," said Kim Nock, Wicomico County Humane Society director.
The new law targets puppy mills, which Nock says can be a store's prime source for inventory.
"Pet stores seem to seek out the more mass production facilities," Nock said. "Probably financially, they're getting dogs at a discounted rate because the facilities are not providing them with proper vet care and they're overbreeding them."
Six companies from Maryland's Western Shore filed a federal lawsuit to fight the state law. It claims pet stores have already adhered to past regulations. WBOC contacted Super Pet, a pet store in Salisbury that sells animals such as puppies, but the store did not respond to requests for comment. The lawsuit also claims pet stores will go out of business if the ban is put in place.
"I think it's a valid concern," Salisbury dog owner Rachel Snyder said. "Things are going to have to change and its hard to change, especially if it's going to be more expensive for them. So, I understand why they're angry about it but I don't think it necessarily makes them right."
The Maryland law would encourage stores to network with local shelters and rescues.
"Certainly, our fees for animals they could still potentially make money off of them, plus they would be doing a service to the community which they're not doing now," Nock said.
The lawsuit also claims the ban will force people to go to unregulated sources to purchase their animals.
Maryland is the second state, after California, to pass a law like this one.