NY PET SHOPS BANNED FROM SELLING DOGS, CATS, RABBITS STARTING SUNDAY – PROMPTING MAJOR PRICE CUTS TO CLEAR FURRY INVENTORY

What’s that doggy in the window?

Pet stores across New York were banned from selling dogs, cats, and rabbits starting Sunday, thanks to a new law that took effect—prompting shops to slash prices in a desperate bid to clear out their furry inventory before the ban kicked in.

“I never thought I’d buy a dog, but if they didn’t get sold, they were going to the shelter,” said 31-year-old paralegal Krisjan Polonia, who adopted a black and white “teddy bear dog”—a shih tzu and bichon mix—from Astoria Pets in Queens.

“Plus, kids make you do crazy things,” Polonia added, explaining that she picked up the adorable pup for $650, a steep discount from its original price of $2,800, as a gift for her son.

The new law, known as the Puppy Mill Pipeline Act, is designed to crack down on the flow of animals from abusive puppy mills into New York, while encouraging adoption from already-overcrowded shelters. The law, which Governor Kathy Hochul signed two years ago, officially went into effect on Sunday.

So across New York City, it was a buyer’s market for prospective pet owners over the weekend.

Ingrid Rodriguez, 25, picked out a 10-week-old Pomeranian for $1,300 after it was marked down from $1,450 at Astoria Pets.

One buyer brought home a $3,250 corgi puppy for just $500 cash.

“This wasn’t the plan,” Rodriguez told The Post. “I was walking by with my mom, and she saw the sign, and she wanted to come in. We went in, and you know, holding the dog up to her chest …”

She said she had “mixed feelings” about the law but hopes it will discourage people from breeding dogs illegally.

Polonia said, “I’m for the change in the law, I was a vet tech, unlicensed.”

But the pet shop owners cutting the tail-wagging deals for customers couldn’t disagree more with the law — insisting countless small businesses following ethical practices will have no choice but to close their doors over it.

“I’ve been here for 42 years,” said 73-year-old Don D’Alessio, owner of Astoria Pets. “For the last eight years, the city told us we could only buy from breeders with a class A license. We followed all the rules, and now they’ve banned pet sales altogether.”

“Two years ago, they passed the law saying we can’t sell from anyone anymore. We’re out of business. We can’t survive like this!” he continued, frustration clear in his voice. “I can’t make it selling supplies when people can find them cheaper online. All I hear is, ‘$14?! I can get that on Chewy for $5!’ We’re done. It’s over.”

D’Alessio pointed out the broader impact, saying, “I know 120 businesses closing almost immediately. That’s about 2,500 jobs from Albany to Montauk.”

“We’ve never had a violation here. Look at the paperwork—15 years of it, and not a single violation,” he added, shaking his head at the situation.

D’Alessio said he was forced to clear out all his dogs over the weekend or send them to a shelter.

He said he ended up selling all of the 21 dogs he had — not counting the three he gave to longtime customers who couldn’t afford them.

“I’m out. I’m done. I’m 73. I got six kids, two who work for me. I got six grandkids. [New York officials] don’t have any idea what they’re doing to small businesses in the state,” D’Alessio said.

Activist groups, on the other hand, including the New York Animal Care Centers of NYC, are pleased to see an end to practices that they say enable inhumane breeding.

“For far too long, pet stores have been the end point in a cruel supply chain that treats living beings as commodities,” said Rise Weinstock, president of the ACC, in a statement. “This law not only helps close that pipeline but also highlights more humane alternatives, like adopting from shelters.”

The Best Friends Animal Society called the ban “a long-overdue victory.”

“Oftentimes pets sold at pet stores are raised in puppy mill situations, which are often inhumane and prioritize profit over humane care,” a rep from the group told The Post on Sunday. “The reality is dogs in these facilities who are used for breeding puppies often spend their entire lives in wire crates without adequate shelter, veterinary care, food or socialization.

“When people don’t have the option to buy from a pet store, which may seem like the easiest but often not best choice, people will be more incentivized to explore the adoption option,” the representative added, pointing out that pet shops will now have the option to rent out their space to overflowing shelters.