Fact Sheet
Support Bailey’s Law, S.B. 228:
Protect Puppies and VA Consumers
Almost all pet store puppies come from puppy mills. Responsible breeders do not sell their
puppies to pet stores because they want to meet their puppy buyers in person—and most national
breed clubs’ Codes of Ethics discourage their members from selling to pet stores. Most pet store
puppies are from “puppy mills,” which typically house dogs in overcrowded, filthy, and inhumane
conditions, and their puppies are often sick. Yet most pet stores will not give customers specific
information about where their puppies come from.
Puppies sold at Virginia pet stores come from all
over the country—and many come from breeders
with one or more Animal Welfare Act violations. A
sampling of importation records obtained from the VA
Department of Agriculture revealed that more than 888
puppies were shipped into the state over a 7 month
period in 2013 – and more than half of them came from
breeders with one or more federal Animal Welfare Act
violations. Several of these breeders were so horrific
that they recently appeared on The HSUS’s Horrible
Hundred list of 100 problem puppy mills.
Puppies sold at pet stores often have serious
health problems, which can saddle consumers
Above: A dog rescued from a VA puppy seller suffered
with huge, unexpected vet bills. Virginia consumers
from such a severe eye infection that she had to have
have repeatedly complained to The HSUS and consumer
the eye removed. Below: Bailey, the namesake for
Bailey’s Law, became gravely ill immediately after
organizations about puppies purchased from pet stores
being purchased from a VA pet store, but the store
who came down with a severe illness within hours or
refused to assist the buyer with any of the veterinary
days of purchase. Conditions commonly reported
costs she incurred.
include pneumonia, heart and lung disorders, and
infectious diseases such as Giardia and deadly Parvovirus. These
health problems are often the direct result of poor sanitation and
improper care at puppy mills.
There is strong support among Virginia citizens for better
laws to protect pet store dogs. A January 2014 poll by MasonDixon Polling & Research, Inc. showed that more than 80% of VA
voters support the protections outlined in Bailey’s Law.
What does Bailey’s Law do?
Named after Bailey, a beagle purchased from a VA pet store who
became gravely ill soon after purchase, this bill would require pet
stores to disclose information about the origin of the puppies they
sell, improve the current puppy lemon law to allow a purchaser of
a sick dog or cat to obtain a refund or exchange if the pet was
certified as unfit for purchase within 20 days of sale (extended
from 10 days), and eliminate the requirement that the animal be
pedigreed.