LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Kentucky State Senate has introduced Senate Bill 157, which would not allow local governments to pass ordinances that prevent pet stores from selling dogs and cats under certain conditions.
This fall, an ordinance in Louisville will go into effect that would ban the sales of dogs and cats in pet stores, but that could be impacted by the bill the senate is proposing. In September, the Louisville Metro Council passed an ordinance that would ban the sale of cats and dogs in public and outdoor spaces, as well as at pet stores.
Pet's Palace, Louisville's oldest pet store, is one of two retail pet stores in Louisville that sell cats and dogs. Jay Hockersmith, 72, has been working there since he was 17, when he was still in high school.
Shortly after obtaining his degree in biology from the University of Louisville, he purchased the business and has operated it ever since.
"It's really a death blow to us," said Hockersmith, owner of Pet's Palace. "We are dependent on our kitten and puppy sales for the business to survive, so if we're not able to sell kittens and puppies, we can't survive."
Under SB 157, no local agency can enforce an ordinance that prohibits a retail pet shop from running as long as the pet comes from a shelter or qualified breeder, the pet is at least eight weeks old and the buyer is an adult.
If the bill becomes law, Hockersmith said he hopes things go back to the way they were before the ordinance was passed.
“It will allow us to sell puppies and kittens," he said. "It requires us to obtain these kittens and puppies from reputable breeders, which we have always done, so it just puts everything back like it used to be."
Some opponents of the bill have said it will allow the sale of cats and dogs from puppy and kitten mills, leading to an overpopulation they said can crowd shelters and impact taxpayers.
"Puppy mills are a horrible, horrible thing," said Thom Ham, executive director of the Arrow Fund. "They're treated in there in cages ... you can't even see what the dog looks like. They know it might be a yorkie, but it might look like just a big bundle of hair."
Hockersmith said all his kittens and puppies are locally sourced rescues. He added his business likely can't stay open if it can't sell kittens and puppies.
"At what point does a breeder become a puppy mill? If you are a large breeder and you're responsible breeder, what's wrong with that?" Hockersmith said.
The Kentucky State Senate also introduced Senate Bill 41, which would ban retail pet shops from selling dogs and cats unless they came from an animal shelter.
Petland, which has three locations in the Commonwealth, sent the following statement to Spectrum News 1:
"It's essential to recognize that bans often fail to address underlying issues and may inadvertently fuel the unregulated, unlicensed underground of irresponsible breeders. Moreover, bans primarily serve to shutter legitimate pet stores without effectively addressing the concerns they aim to mitigate," said Maria Smith, communications director, Petland Inc.