Colorado lawmakers advanced legislation Monday that would prohibit pet stores from selling dogs and cats sourced from large-scale commercial breeders, a move sponsors say will shut down the “puppy mill pipeline.” Critics, however, warn that the bill will instead push sales into unregulated online and out-of-state markets.

House Bill 1011, sponsored by House Majority Leader Monica Duran, D-Wheat Ridge, Rep. Karen McCormick, D-Hygiene, and Senate Majority Leader Robert Rodriguez, D-Denver, targets “brokers,” which the bill defines as individuals who sell animals bred by another person, often in large-scale commercial breeding facilities known as puppy mills. Pet stores would still be allowed to house animals available for adoption through a local shelter or rescue.

Eight states and 26 Colorado towns have banned pet stores from selling animals like dogs, cats, and rabbits. According to bill sponsors, seven pet stores in Colorado sell dogs and cats from brokers.

Both commercial breeding facilities and brokers are licensed through the USDA. The agency has cited numerous facilities — including several in Colorado — for repeated violations, including extreme temperatures, failing to treat animals’ medical conditions, overcrowding, and unsanitary conditions, Duran told the House Agriculture, Water and Natural Resources Committee on Monday.

“Behind the glass in many retail stores is a national pipeline fueled by large-scale commercial breeding facilities,” she said. “This is not just another policy debate for me; it is personal. It’s about love, it’s about trust, and it’s about responsibility.”

Duran has sponsored a number of bills regulating the sale of dogs and cats throughout her time in the legislature, including an unsuccessful 2020 measure that sought to prohibit the sale of dogs and cats both in public places and at pet stores.

That legislation was eventually split into two bills, with the former becoming law last session.

This year’s bill does not punish ethical breeders who breed only a few litters at a time and care for the health and well-being of their animals, Duran said, nor does it claim that all pet stores are evil.

“What it does recognize is that there’s a documented pipeline where large-scale commercial breeding facilities, some with repeated and serious violations, are supplying dogs into Colorado’s retail market,” she said.

Consumers often pay thousands of dollars for puppies at pet stores, unaware that they could have significant health problems, said McCormick, who works as a veterinarian and has treated many dogs bred in puppy mills. She said she has also owned three dogs that had been used as breeders in puppy mills.

“This bill doesn’t just support good, ethical business practices; it supports our responsible, reputable breeders, both here in Colorado and across the nation,” she said.

‘This will not end demand for puppies, and it will not close the pipeline’

Brandon Lenning owns one of the last remaining pet stores in the state that sells puppies, Pet Paradise in Pueblo. He said he cares deeply about the health and well-being of every animal in his store and is strongly opposed to puppy mills, but argued the bill targets small businesses rather than the real culprits.

“If the concern is puppy mills or unethical breeding practices, then let’s fight this together; let’s strengthen inspections and increase penalties for violations,” he said. “Let’s create higher transparency requirements at the source, but do not remove customer choice and destroy legitimate livelihoods in the process.”

If pet stores are prohibited from selling puppies, people will likely seek alternative ways to purchase them, such as online or from unregulated sellers, Lenning said.

“We all have the same goal: we want to end animal cruelty,” he said. “I promise you, this is not the way to do it. This bill will not end demand for puppies, and it will not close the pipeline. It will shift the demand to unregulated online out-of-state transactions and underground markets where oversight is weaker.”

Pet stores are some of the most regulated businesses in Colorado, said Alyssa Miller-Hurley of Pet Advocacy Network. Under the state’s Pet Animal Care and Facilities Act, pet stores are required to be licensed by the state and undergo regular inspections and provide regular veterinary oversight, and adhere to certain animal welfare requirements.

According to Miller-Hurley, states like California and New York that have implemented pet store bans have seen increases in “black market” puppy sales.

She pointed to a 2024 Los Angeles Times article highlighting the rise in underground puppy sales.

“The need [for puppies] is never gonna go away, and the want is never go away, just the sourcing,” she said.

‘No pet store needs to sell puppies to be profitable’
According to Aubyn Royall of Humane World for Animals, 74 pet retail stores in Colorado have come out in support of HB 1011.

“Industry data shows that no pet store needs to sell puppies to be profitable,” she said. Many of the pet stores that formerly sold puppies and kittens have gone on to open grooming salons and boarding facilities or expand their pet supply inventory.

“I cannot stress enough that any store that closes because of a humane pet sales law did so by choice,” she said.

Roland Halpern of Colorado Voters for Animals advocated for adopting dogs and cats rather than purchasing them from pet stores.

While the USDA licenses commercial dog breeding facilities, the agency doesn’t hold them to high enough animal welfare standards, said Roland Halpern of Colorado Voters for Animals.

He criticized opponents of the bill who expressed concerns about its potential economic impact, arguing that “economic harm is not a defense to immoral or harmful conduct.”

“When a business model depends on cruelty or deception or externalizing costs on animal shelters and consumers, that’s not a good business model,” he said. “Colorado consumers should not be obligated to preserve an inhumane revenue stream.”

The bill passed on a party-line vote and will move on to the House floor for debate.