Recent ban: No more puppy sidewalk sales

Your veterinary clients will no longer be able to buy puppies off the street, at least in California. In an effort to reduce the number of poorly run puppy mills in the state, Gov. Jerry Brown recently signed a law that bans the sale of animals on street corners and other public property. According to the LA Times, the law also enforces tougher penalties for people convicted of animal abuse or animal cruelty, allowing a maximum jail sentence of one year and a fine up to $20,000.

California Sen. Ted Lieu says the goal of the bill—cosponsored by the State Humane Association of California, the Humane Society of the United States, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and SPCA Los Angeles—is to improve conditions for animals sold in the state. "Because current health and safety regulations for animal sales don't apply to roadside sales, young animals are being sold that are often mistreated, ill, or diseased and there’s no way to track the seller," Lieu says.

The bill doesn't prevent pet owners from selling puppies on private property. It also allows animal shelters to sell without penalty.