Governor signs bill to eliminate local ordinances banning dog sales at pet stores

Pet stores will be able to sell dogs anywhere in Indiana — even in communities where those sales are banned by local ordinances — under a bill Gov. Eric Holcomb signed into law Monday.

The controversial measure, HB 1412, eliminates nearly two dozen such ordinances. It establishes new care standards and requires pet stores to register with the state in order to sell canines.

Proponents argued it will enhance quality and safety for dogs by requiring breeders to adhere to a canine care certification program developed at Purdue University.

Those guidelines aren’t accessible to the public. And smaller breeding operations don’t have to follow them.
 

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The bill requires pet stores to only accept dogs from breeders that follow the Purdue standards — again, with exceptions for smaller operations.

The stores must also be inspected by the state Board of Animal Health as part of the legislation. But those inspections won’t begin until at least July 2025 — while the local ordinances will be eliminated in July of this year.
 

Brandon is our Statehouse bureau chief. Contact him at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.