Press Room

An Act promoting pet equity, treatment, and safety—the PETS Act—bolsters animals’ safety and pet-owners’ peace of mind through requirements for proper care and provisions to make cat and dog ownership more attainable.

The bill puts an end to inhumane for-profit puppy and kitten sales in commercial pet stores, stops unnecessary chemical testing that hurts innocent animals, and expands a humane treatment law to cover all household pets. Making the benefits of pet companionship possible for more Massachusetts residents, the bill also creates a pet ownership program for public housing facilities and promotes insurance fairness for dog owners regardless of their pet’s breed.

The details of the legislation are below.

Ends Inhumane Puppy and Kitten Vending. Promotes ethical pet sales and cuts off the inhumane ‘puppy mill’ pipeline by banning the sale of cats and dogs at pet stores. Continues to allow pet shops to offer space in their store for rescue shelter organizations to showcase pets available for non-profit adoption. Violations of this new law would incur a civil penalty up to $5,000 per offense and risk revocation of the pet shop license. Fines would go into the Homeless Animal Prevention and Care Fund.

Spares Animals from Unnecessary Chemical Testing. Prohibits companies from using animals as test subjects for their product research—with the exception of medical research—if there is a viable alternative testing method available. Empowers the Department of Public Health (DPH) Commissioner with regulation and enforcement.

Creates Equitable Anti-Cruelty Laws. Punishes cases where household pets are kept in ‘cruel conditions,’ including lack of appropriate food or water, exposure to garbage and other health threats, and lack of protection during unsafe weather. This update expands an existing dog anti-cruelty law to cover all household pets. Violations would incur fines up to $500 for a third or subsequent offense, together with possible loss of ownership of the animal.

Encourages Animal Companionship for Renters. Directs the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) to create uniform regulations to make pet ownership possible for residents of state-aided public housing. Prohibits state-aided public housing facilities from imposing any outright bans on pet ownership, and stops such facilities from discriminating based on a pet’s breed or size. Digs deeper on Massachusetts renters’ ability to keep pets by commissioning a report by EOHLC on pet-related fees charged to renters in both private and public housing.

Stops Dog Breed Discrimination. Prohibits homeowner insurance companies from factoring a dog’s breed into underwriting, rating, or renewal decisions. Home insurers would be allowed to make decisions based on whether a particular dog has been declared dangerous by a municipality or has a known history of harming a person or another pet.