Pet Store Complaint

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Alert

The Health Department is currently reviewing all complaints and responding primarily to those that pose an imminent threat to public health or safety.

Non-emergency complaints will be logged and responded to when regular operations resume.

Need something else?

Animal Abuse
Animal Facility Complaint for complaints about animal shelters, kennels, groomers, stables, zoos, or other animal exhibits

You can make a complaint about any type of pet shop, including ones that only sell dogs and cats, for not following City and State rules.

You can report any pet shop for:

Unsanitary conditions
Operating without a permit
Selling, giving away, trading, displaying, transferring, or delivering rabbits
Failing to provide appropriate care to animals
Selling animals that are illegal in New York City
Operating without an Animal Handling Certificate

In addition, you can report a pet shop that sells dogs and cats for:

Selling a dog without a City dog license. This is only permitted if the buyer provides a written statement that the dog will live outside of New York City
Failing to microchip a dog or cat before it is sold and registering the microchip with the owner's contact information
Getting dogs and cats from a breeder that does not hold a US Department of Agriculture "Class A" license or have a good inspection history
Failing to provide a complete health and medical history about dogs and cats, including where the animals came from and the breeder's inspection history
Selling dogs or cats from a source prohibited by law
Failing to post signs about the availability of animal records
Failing to spay or neuter a dog or cat that weights more than 2 pounds at least 8 weeks before it is sold