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Governor signs bill to eliminate local ordinances banning dog sales at pet stores

A golden retriever stands outside, its tongue lolling out of its mouth.
Lauren Chapman
/
IPB News
Dog breeders and brokers must meet canine care certification standards developed by Purdue University under legislation signed into law by the governor. Those rules do not apply to small operations.

Pet stores will be able to sell dogs anywhere in Indiana — even in communities where those sales are banned by local ordinances — under a bill Gov. Eric Holcomb signed into law Monday.

The controversial measure, HB 1412, eliminates nearly two dozen such ordinances. It establishes new care standards and requires pet stores to register with the state in order to sell canines.

Proponents argued it will enhance quality and safety for dogs by requiring breeders to adhere to a canine care certification program developed at Purdue University.

Those guidelines aren’t accessible to the public. And smaller breeding operations don’t have to follow them.

READ MORE: How do I follow Indiana’s legislative session? Here’s your guide to demystify the process

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The bill requires pet stores to only accept dogs from breeders that follow the Purdue standards — again, with exceptions for smaller operations.

The stores must also be inspected by the state Board of Animal Health as part of the legislation. But those inspections won’t begin until at least July 2025 — while the local ordinances will be eliminated in July of this year.

Brandon is our Statehouse bureau chief. Contact him at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.

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Brandon Smith has covered the Statehouse for Indiana Public Broadcasting for more than a decade, spanning three governors and a dozen legislative sessions. He's also the host of Indiana Week in Review, a weekly political and policy discussion program seen and heard across the state. He previously worked at KBIA in Columbia, Missouri and WSPY in Plano, Illinois. His first job in radio was in another state capitol - Jefferson City, Missouri - as a reporter for three stations around the Show-Me State.