Ending the Puppy Mill Pipeline: Why New Jersey Must Pass the Humane Pet Store Bill (S2511/A4051)

In communities across New Jersey, families walking into pet stores are met with friendly staff, adorable puppies, and promises like "No Puppy Mill Dogs – Guaranteed." But behind the scenes, the reality is far more troubling. Pet stores—including major chains like Shake A Paw—have been repeatedly linked to large-scale commercial breeders with documented histories of serious animal welfare violations.

Despite this, the industry and groups such as the NJ Coalition of Responsible Pet Stores insist they are well-regulated. They argue that the NJ Pet Purchase Protection Plan Act ensures high standards, and that routine inspections offer enough oversight to prevent abuse. Yet public records, USDA inspection reports, and national watchdog organizations have consistently exposed how deeply flawed and ineffective this framework is.

This article breaks down how pet stores in New Jersey continue to fuel the cruel puppy mill pipeline—and how the proposed Humane Pet Store Bill (S2511/A4051) would change that.

Violations Hidden Behind Retail Promises

From 2019 to 2023, Shake A Paw’s Union and Green Brook locations sourced puppies from breeders with long and well-documented USDA violations. Some of these breeders, like Carol Stoner and Menno Yoder, later became illegal to source from under NJ law due to the extent of their violations.

For example:

• Carol Stoner received a direct USDA violation in 2022. She became illegal to source from in 2023 and 2024.

• Menno Yoder was cited for three violations in 2023, disqualifying him from legal sourcing in 2024 and 2025.

Nevertheless, stores like Shake A Paw continued doing business with such breeders, protected by a weak legal framework that prioritizes commercial interests over animal welfare.

The Shortcomings of the Pet Purchase Protection Plan Act

The NJ Pet Purchase Protection Plan Act, while well-intentioned, fails to hold pet stores accountable. It allows pet stores to buy from USDA-licensed breeders without reviewing those breeders’ violation histories. That means a facility with a track record of unvaccinated dogs, untreated wounds, filthy kennels, or inbreeding can legally sell puppies into New Jersey.

The law focuses on consumer refunds if a puppy becomes ill post-sale—but by then, it’s too late. Families are heartbroken, dogs are suffering, and shelters may inherit the burden. Worse, the law does nothing to stop deceptive third-party financing tactics or require transparency about where animals come from.

What the Humane Pet Store Bill Would Do

The Humane Pet Store Bill (S2511/A4051) directly addresses these failings by ending the pipeline of mass-produced, often sickly animals into New Jersey pet stores. Specifically, it would:

• Ban the retail sale of dogs and cats from high-volume commercial breeders.

• Prohibit predatory lending and puppy leasing scams, which trap buyers in high-interest contracts.

• Protect shelters and taxpayers by reducing intake from failed pet purchases.

In short, the bill replaces a weak, reactive system with one that is proactive, humane, and enforceable.

Puppy Mills: What They Are and Why It Matters

A puppy mill is a breeding facility that prioritizes profit over the welfare of animals. Dogs are often kept in small wire cages, denied proper veterinary care, bred back-to-back, and given minimal human interaction. Puppies from these facilities suffer from serious health and behavioral problems, and their mothers are often discarded or killed once no longer profitable.

These breeders use brokers and vague paperwork to disguise their operations. By the time a puppy arrives at a New Jersey pet store, it may have passed through multiple hands, none of which are held truly accountable.

Financial Abuse: The Rise of Puppy Leasing

In addition to unethical sourcing, many pet stores use predatory financing practices. Customers are lured in with offers of “affordable monthly payments” and discover only later they’ve signed a lease, not a loan. These agreements often involve triple-digit APRs and hidden fees, leaving buyers with thousands in debt—and no guarantee of a healthy pet.

These practices disproportionately affect low- and middle-income families and are designed to obscure the true cost and risk of the purchase. In some cases, the pet technically remains the property of the lender until the final payment is made.

The Cost to Communities

The damage from the puppy mill-to-pet store pipeline doesn’t stop at individual heartbreak:

• Shelters become overcrowded with surrendered pet store dogs suffering from illness or poor temperament.

• Taxpayers foot the bill for animal control, veterinary care, and legal action.

• Local rescues and ethical breeders struggle to compete with mass-produced animals marketed as “rescue” pets or “guaranteed healthy.”

• Public health is at risk due to zoonotic diseases passed through sick puppies.

The Solution: S2511/A4051

The Humane Pet Store Bill is more than animal welfare legislation—it’s consumer protection and community reform. It’s about ending deceptive business practices, stopping cruelty at its source, and giving families in New Jersey safer, more ethical options for adding a pet to their home.

Support of Reputable Breeders is Different than Supporting High-Volume Commercial Breeders

This is not a bill against reputable breeders. In fact, the Humane Pet Store Bill recognizes and supports the important role that ethical breeders play in preserving healthy bloodlines, promoting responsible ownership, and prioritizing animal welfare.

Reputable breeders are committed to the well-being of their animals. They:

• Raise dogs in their homes or in safe, enriched environments.

• Provide regular veterinary care and proper socialization.

• Limit the number of litters per year to protect the health of parent dogs.

• Carefully screen potential adopters to ensure lifelong placements.

• Are transparent, accessible, and welcome visits to their breeding facilities.

• Would never sell their pets to pet stores, as they want to know the home environment and lifestyle their pets will be living in.
• Will always take back their dogs, cats, or rabbits.

In contrast, puppy mills are high-volume operations that treat animals as commodities. They:

• Keep dogs in stacked wire cages with minimal human contact.

• Breed dogs continuously with little regard for health.

• Cut corners on veterinary care, nutrition, and hygiene.

• Use brokers and dealers to hide poor conditions and disguise sourcing.

• Ship puppies across state lines for resale in pet stores.

The Humane Pet Store Bill aims to protect reputable breeders by cracking down on commercial puppy mills that undercut ethical standards. By removing the financial incentive to mass-produce animals for retail sale, the bill shifts consumer demand toward responsible, local breeders and rescues that prioritize the health and humanity of every animal. The Humane Pet Store Bill is more than animal welfare legislation—it’s consumer protection and community reform. It’s about ending deceptive business practices, stopping cruelty at its source, and giving families in New Jersey safer, more ethical options for adding a pet to their home.

How You Can Help

Change requires pressure. Legislators need to hear from constituents who want to see New Jersey lead the nation in humane and ethical pet policies.

Asm. Craig Coughlin: (732) 855-7441 AsmCoughlin@njleg.org tinyurl.com/TELL-COUGHLIN-NOW

Sen. Nicholas Scutari: (732) 827-7480 SenScutari@njleg.org tinyurl.com/TELL-SCUTARI

Gov. Phil Murphy: (609) 292-6000 Philip.Murphy@nj.gov Text: 508-435-3911

And, this is important to.  Tell your legislator.

Find your legislators by town: www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-roster

Let’s Stop the Pipeline

The promise of “No Puppy Mill Dogs” should mean something. It’s time New Jersey stops letting stores market cruelty and deception. Let’s close the loopholes, support responsible breeders and rescues, and protect the families—and animals—who deserve better.