Minnesota’s Humane Pet Store Bill Fails to Receive House Vote

Despite broad bipartisan support and the votes needed to pass, the Humane Pet Store Bill did not receive a floor vote in the Minnesota House of Representatives.

This bill has been the subject of extensive negotiation over the course of many legislative sessions. Our goals were straightforward: stronger protections for dogs and greater transparency in the pet sale supply chain. These are reasonable, commonsense standards — and yet, once again, they were blocked from a vote.

We are deeply disappointed by the actions of Representative Bernie Perryman, who communicated in writing to a constituent that she would vote in support of the bill — and then voted against it. We are equally troubled by the decision of GOP leader Harry Niska to prevent the bill from receiving a vote at all.

We want to sincerely thank Senator Dibble, Representative Matt Norris, and every individual and organization who championed this legislation. Your commitment to animal rights does not go unnoticed.

Our work continues. The failure of this bill at the state level will not stop us. We will continue to:

• Meet with city councils across Minnesota to pass Humane Pet Store Ordinances, one city at a time.
• Track the origins of puppies sold in Minnesota pet stores and monitor their inspection reports.
• Share the stories of sick puppies sold in Minnesota pet stores to keep the public informed.