About four months ago, Libby Post and her wife, Lynn Dunning Vaughn, rescued Sophie, a 6-year-old golden retriever who came from an Amish puppy mill in Ohio. 

“The options were, either they took her out back and shot her or they let her be rescued,” Post told Capital Tonight. “But that’s what happens. When dogs are spent, like Sophie, they are destroyed.”

Sophie was bred every six months, Post said, and because of that and other mistreatment, she has behavioral issues.

“She was cooped up in a cage for her entire life and used to breed multiple, multiple, multiple puppies,” Post explained.

This kind of mistreatment is one of the reasons Post, who is the executive director of the New York State Animal Protection Federation, is once again advocating for a ban on so-called puppy mills.

The “Puppy Mill Pipeline Bill” (A4283/S1130), sponsored by New York Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal and state Sen. Mike Gianaris, would end the retail sale of dogs, cats and rabbits in pet stores across the state. 

The bill twice passed in the state Senate, but not in the Assembly, where some members are concerned about pet stores going out of business. But according to Post, most pet stores make their money from pet supplies, not the sale of animals. 

“Pet supplies is a $1 billion industry, and [these are] numbers from the American Pet Products Association. Two percent of that $1 billion comes from live pet sales. Less than that comes from the sale of puppies, kittens and rabbits,” Post said. “This is an opportunity for pet stores to rebrand as humane businesses.”

Some pet stores, including Pet Smart, have started bringing in rescues and shelters to do adoption events, something Post said is a great idea.

“Then, folks will feel good about the store and they’ll keep coming back, to buy food, to buy supplies, to buy the stupid costumes we put on our animals on Halloween.”

If the Puppy Mill Pipeline Bill passes, pet lovers will still be able to buy purebred dogs from local breeders.