Colorado just banned pet stores from selling cats and dogs
Apr 30, 2026, 4:21 PM
Colorado just joined a short list of states that have statewide bans on pet stores selling cats and dogs.
Governor Polis signed a new law Wednesday that bans pet stores in Colorado from selling dogs and cats starting January 1st.
It’s officially called House Bill 26-1011, but its nickname is the Pistol the Pomeranian Protection Act, and it’s aimed at shutting down the puppy mill pipeline.
Pet stores can still partner with local shelters to house adoptable animals, they just can’t sell, lease, auction or barter them anymore.
The Governor talked about families who spent a fortune on pet store dogs only to face thousands in vet bills — or worse, lost them — because the animals were inbred or exposed to disease as puppies. He’s encouraging Coloradans to adopt, not shop, or go through a legitimate breeder.
State Majority Leader Monica Duran pushed this bill for eight years before it finally passed. Eight years of setbacks and being told not yet, not now, maybe never. She says pet stores can still thrive, but the pipeline that brought suffering into our state ends now.
Those who oppose the bill feel that this will drive consumers to Craigslist and there will be no recourse to help them.
Beginning Jan. 1, Coloradans looking to add a dog or cat to their family will need to go through a shelter or a licensed breeder directly.
Read more about the Pomeranian Act in The Denver Post
New Colorado law bans sales of cats, dogs in pet stores in bid to crack down on ‘puppy mills’
