Fresh off the heels of a victory for pet store pets in Florida, the ASPCA once again fought the retail pet sale industry—this time, in neighboring Georgia.

During the state’s legislative session, which just came to a close, the retail puppy industry hired expensive lobbyists to push for special protections that would have stripped local governments of their ability to regulate the sale of cruelly-bred dogs in their communities. We are pleased to report Georgia’s lawmakers stood their ground for humane animal treatment by rejecting S.B. 418/H.B. 928 and repeated attempts by the industry to attach these protections to other bills.

With state Senator Renee Unterman leading the charge, the Georgia Senate rejected S.B. 418 by a resounding 34-19 vote. With the Senate defeat looming large, the bill’s companion, H.B. 948, did not even receive a House hearing. 

However, the industry didn’t stop there. In the final days of session, the ASPCA learned that lobbyists were attempting to amend their language onto bills related to housing and veterinary medicine. Working with others in the state, and with your help, we were able to defeat all three of the industry’s attempts to pass state protections that would have rolled back progress in Georgia toward stopping puppy mill cruelty.

The bills would have invalided the laws of eight Georgia municipalities designed to keep pets sourced from this cruel industry out of their local pet stores. Over 250 localities across the nation have enacted similar laws.  

The ASPCA thanks the Georgia Senate and Senator Unterman for standing up for animal welfare and consumers, and rejecting puppy-sellers' bad and inhumane business practices.

Live in Georgia? Please visit the ASPCA Advocacy Center to join us in thanking Senator Unterman for her efforts to stop these attempts to hurt pet store pets, consumers and local governments.

Don’t live in Georgia? Please join the ASPCA Advocacy Brigade to be alerted when pet store pets and animal-protection legislation in your state need your help.