Owners of Brooklyn’s Puppy Boutique say they care too much about the dogs they sell to leave them in just anybody’s hands.
“Sorry, we do not ship our babies,” the company says on its website. “They must be picked up in person.”
But, according to the state attorney general, the company shouldn’t be selling them at all.
The state’s top law enforcement official said Puppy Boutique, located in Bensonhurst, had been operating in violation of the Puppy Mill Pipeline Act, a 2024 law designed to protect consumers from unknowingly purchasing sick pets and to curb animal abuse at puppy mills.
“Pets are valued members of our families, and anyone who brings a new pet into their home deserves a healthy animal,” Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement.
“Puppy Boutique illegally sold puppies to New Yorkers, exposing them to heartbreak and exorbitant veterinary bills for animals raised in inhumane conditions,” James said. “My office will continue to enforce the Puppy Mill Pipeline Act to ensure that animals across the state are protected, healthy and free from mistreatment, and that abusive breeders are stopped.”
Puppy Boutique uses Instagram, TikTok and several websites to advertise puppies for sale, according to a lawsuit filed against the company by the attorney general’s office. Its website notes the store specializes in “tiny toy breeds,” including Maltese, Shih Tzus, Pomeranians, Chihuahuas, Poodles and Yorkies.
But the new law, which went into effect in December 2024, permanently bans the sale of dogs, cats and rabbits by New York pet stores.
After state agencies sent cease-and-desist orders, Puppy Boutique’s owner claimed to be working with a newly formed nonprofit organization to adopt dogs, the lawsuit said.
However, the nonprofit was not properly registered — plus sourced dogs directly from breeders, including known puppy mills, in violation of the Puppy Mill Pipeline Act, according to court papers.
A Puppy Boutique employee said that taking on a nonprofit partner allowed the company to comply with the law.
“We weren’t doing anything illegal,” the employee said. “We weren’t trying to mislead the public or anything,”
Last year the attorney general’s office launched an undercover investigation, inquiring about a Maltese puppy advertised by the company. A store representative supplied photos, pricing information and store hours.
“The law expressly forbids the sale of dogs, cats and rabbits in retail pet stores, but apparently that was not an obstacle for Puppy Boutique,” state Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal (D-Manhattan) said in a statement. “Sourcing dogs from cruel puppy mills and fleecing unsuspecting consumers to the tune of thousands of dollars per animal will not be tolerated in New York State.”