Lexington may soon become fourth KY city to ban sales of puppies, cats in pet stores

A Lexington council committee voted Tuesday to move an ordinance forward prohibiting the sale of cats and dogs from pet stores.

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council Social Services and Public Safety Committee voted unanimously to send the ordinance to the full council. A date for the council’s first vote will likely be in May, said Councilwoman Jennifer Reynolds, who sponsored the ordinance and chairs the Social Services and Public Safety Committee.

Multiple cities have enacted similar local ordinances aimed at stopping puppy mills, or prolific commercial breeders who sell to some some pet stores. In Kentucky, Louisville, Elizabethtown and Radcliff have enacted similar sales bans.

Those Kentucky cities are among 492 cities nationwide which have ordinances halting the sale of cats and dogs.

The Humane Society of the United States has pushed the commercial sales ban. It would not effect the sale of other types of pets including reptiles, fish and birds, according to the ordinance.

During Tuesday’s committee meeting, Humane Society of Kentucky Director Todd Blevins said two of 15 Fayette County pet stores sell cats and dogs. The names of those pet stores were not released during Tuesday’s committee meeting.

The other 13 pet stores partner with rescue organizations or humane societies, he said.

“There is no federal, state, or industry standard that identifies a ‘good ‘puppy mill or a ‘bad’ one, nor a reasonable enforcement mechanism to ensure that Lexington-based retailers meet those standards,” said Blevins. These mills maximize profit over well-being, he said.

“The USDA has never had a proper enforcement mechanism,” Blevins said. “At the state level, we have nothing.”

Blevins said some of these operators have predatory financing schemes and sometimes those animals come home very, very ill.

How the ordinance would work

The ordinance would not prohibit Lexington residents from adopting directly from a store or a rescue shelter such as the Lexington Humane Society. It would also not prohibit breeders from selling directly to future animal owners.

If passed, stores in violation of the ordinance would face a $500 fine, Blevins said. Pet stores would have 30 days to come into compliance with the local ordinance after it passes. Lexington Animal Control would enforce the ordinance. Animal control already inspects pet stores if there is a complaint, he said.

The ordinance would also prohibit the sales of cats and dogs at flea markets or parking lots.

During Tuesday’s meeting, Councilwoman Tayna Fogle questioned whether pet stores could be shut down or if the stores are only fined. Blevins said the stores would face a $500 fine per sale of a dog or cat. Most stop selling because those fines add up, Blevins said.

In other places with similar ordinances, the $500 fine has been a deterrent, Blevins said.

Councilman David Sevigny questioned if more local oversight of sales has been tried.

Some places have tried to regulate the sale of cats and dogs but have instead moved to bans because those regulations can be difficult to enforce, Blevins said.

Dozens of animal rescue groups have signed on in support of the local ordinance, including the Lexington Humane Society and Paws 4 the Cause.

A bill was filed in the Kentucky General Assembly this legislative session prohibiting local governments from enacting ordinances banning sales of cats and dogs. That bill appears to be dead, Blevins said. The Kentucky General Assembly will return for two days — to possibly over-ride any potential vetoes — starting Friday.

Blevins said there was a lot of pushback against the state law but he could not predict if the state General Assembly would pass the bill in 2025.

Earlier this year, Lexington passed an ordinance that would prohibit landlords from discriminating against people who use federal housing vouchers or other types of income other than employment pay to pay rent. The Republican-controlled state legislature later passed a law that prohibited local governments from passing such bans, which made Lexington’s source of income ban void.