Benjamin Santiago, the general manager of Puppy Boutique in Bensonhurst, spoke to Brooklyn Paper Monday surrounded by some 20 pups he hopes will be sold before Sunday's deadline. "We'll figure something out. These guys are not going to go back anywhere. They're going to end up being in someone's home. I'll even grab a couple myself," he said.
I understand that they're trying to cut off the puppy mills, but what does our pet store have to do with that? asked Santiago. "The job of eliminating most of those puppy mills is for the FDA, they are supposed to handle that, not us. But it's the mom-and-pop stores who are paying for it."
According to some, the USDA is known as a joke when it comes to inspections, raising doubts about the claims made by pet store owners regarding the safety of their sources.
The pet sale ban takes effect this Sunday, Dec. 15, impacting over 160 brick and motor stores statewide, five of which are in Brooklyn. Any stores found to be selling pets after the deadline can face penalties of up to $1,000 per violation.
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