History Made! Easton Becomes PA’s First City to Ban Animal Sales in Pet Stores

Nearly 500 cities in the US and some states have banned the retail sale of puppies and kittens, but these laws have excluded the vast majority of animals who are sold in pet stores. That’s beginning to change. On September 10, 2025, Easton became the first city in Pennsylvania to pass an expanded retail sales ban, protecting animals from extreme suffering in mills.   

Shut Down the Mill-to-Pet-Store-Pipeline 

Undercover investigations and government inspections of mills—large barns or sheds where animals are bred or housed to supply pet stores around the country—have found dead animals, animals being cannibalized, filthy cages, animals denied water and food, and severely injured and ill animals. Though the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) ostensibly regulates some mills, it’s poorly enforced and sets woefully inadequate welfare requirements. Most animals sold in pet stores, including reptiles and amphibians, are not covered by the AWA and have no federal legal protection.  

Pennsylvania Voters For Animals Leads the Way  

Pennsylvania Voters For Animals, a nonprofit organization focused on advancing stronger animal protection laws across the state, worked with Easton Councilwoman Taiba Sultana to enact this critical animal protection bill. Supported by World Animal Protection, Rose LoPiccolo (Executive Director of The Center for Animal Health & Welfare), Mary Finelli (Fish Feel), and local advocates, PA Voters for Animals built a strong argument for the ban, underscoring the cruelty that animals endure in mills and the impact that sales have on local shelters and rescues.   

A special thank you to Councilwoman Sultana for her compassionate leadership and Suzanne Gonzalez and Sheryl Petrillo for their tireless advocacy.

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