H893 • 2025

An Act relative to the sale of dogs and cats in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor: Bruce J. Ayers
Last action: 2026-03-12
Official status: Accompanied H967
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

An Act relative to the sale of dogs and cats in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

An Act relative to the sale of dogs and cats in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts By Representative Ayers of Quincy, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.

What This Bill Does

An Act relative to the sale of dogs and cats in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts By Representative Ayers of Quincy, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
893) of Bruce J.
Ayers relative to the sale of dogs, cats and rabbits in pet shops.
Environment and Natural Resources.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-03-12 House
Accompanied H967
2026-01-20 House
Reporting date extended to Wednesday, March 18, 2026
2025-10-10 Joint
Hearing scheduled for 10/21/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in A-1
2025-02-27 House
Referred to the committee on Environment and Natural Resources
2025-02-27 Senate
Senate concurred

Official Summary Text

An Act relative to the sale of dogs and cats in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
By Representative Ayers of Quincy, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 893) of Bruce J. Ayers relative to the sale of dogs, cats and rabbits in pet shops. Environment and Natural Resources.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

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Bill H.893

Chapter 129 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 39A the following section:

Section 39A½. A pet shop operator shall not sell a live dog, cat or rabbit in a pet shop unless the dog, cat or rabbit was obtained from a publicly owned animal pound, public animal control agency or shelter, society for the prevention of cruelty to animals shelter, humane society shelter or rescue group that is in a cooperative agreement with at least 1 private or public shelter.Each pet shop shall maintain records sufficient to document the source of each dog, cat or rabbit that the pet shop sells or provides space for, for at least 1 year. Each pet shop shall post, in a conspicuous location on the cage or enclosure of each animal, a sign listing the name of the publicly owned animal pound, public animal control agency or shelter, society for the prevention of cruelty to animals shelter, humane society shelter, or rescue group from which each dog, cat or rabbit was obtained. Publicly owned animal pound and public animal control agencies or shelters may periodically require pet shops engaged in the sale of dogs, cats or rabbits to provide access to said records.

A pet shop operator who violates this section shall be subject to a civil penalty of $500. Each animal offered for sale in violation of this section shall constitute a separate violation.

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