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HB 5909

AN ACT CONCERNING THE CARE OF PETS SOLD IN PET STORES.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Christie Carpino

Connecticut bill establishing pet store animal welfare standards including housing requirements, veterinary care protocols, and sales practices for retail pet businesses.

REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Environment
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Bill Summary · HB 5909

Legislative bill overview

HB 5909 establishes regulations governing the sale of pets in commercial pet stores in Connecticut. The bill aims to improve animal welfare standards by setting requirements for how pets must be housed, cared for, and sold by retail pet establishments.

Why is this important

Pet store conditions have been a longstanding animal welfare concern, with documented issues including inadequate space, poor sanitation, insufficient veterinary care, and high disease transmission rates. This legislation directly addresses consumer protection and animal health by establishing baseline care standards that would apply to all pet retail operations in the state.

Potential points of contention

  • Business burden vs. animal welfare: Pet store owners may argue compliance costs are excessive, while animal advocates may counter that standards remain insufficient
  • Scope of regulations: Disagreement over which species should be covered (dogs, cats, small animals, reptiles, etc.) and how prescriptive housing/care requirements should be
  • Enforcement mechanisms: Questions about whether Connecticut has adequate resources to inspect and penalize non-compliant facilities, and what penalties are appropriate

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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