In a significant win for animal companions, the Las Vegas City Council voted 5-2 to phase out the sale of dogs, cats, rabbits, pot-bellied pigs, and guinea pigs in pet stores within city limits, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
The ordinance affects all new pet shop licenses immediately, while 13 existing shops will have until Nov. 6, 2028, to comply. Violators could face fines ranging from $250 to $500, with offenses treated as criminal misdemeanors or civil infractions.
“We have a very serious overpopulation of animals problem in this community, where our shelters are all overcrowded, (are) having trouble accepting more pets that are dropped off,” Las Vegas Mayor Shelley Berkley said. “And there’s a lot of suffering in the pet community.”
The move aligns Las Vegas with Clark County and North Las Vegas in banning the sale of certain animals in retail pet stores. Across the U.S., a growing number of cities and states have enacted similar bans.
This decision is yet another step toward ending the puppy mill-to-pet store pipeline, helping break the cycle of mass breeding for profit, and reducing the population of homeless animals. It also offers hope for a more humane future in which animal companions are no longer treated like products.
