Puppy Mill Crackdown May Fall to Municipalities

A bill is awaiting New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's signature could turn the regulation of puppy sales over to local governments.

Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal and Senator Mark Grisanti sponsored the legislation that would allow municipalities to enact local laws that may be more strict than is currently regulated by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.

Puppy mills are factory farms for pet dogs where the breeding adults are often kept in cramped, unsanitary and inhumane conditions for the sole purpose of producing puppies for profit.

In addition to several animal welfare groups, the new legislation has also earned the backing of the State Association of Counties, the Association of Towns and the Conference of Mayors.