Allentown, PA Animal Ordinances: Pet Store Rules (2026)

Article III of Chapter 163, adopted by Ordinance No. A for a pet shop, as defined in § 163-1, to sell or offer for sale a dog, cat, rabbit, or guinea pig. B carves out one path: a retail pet shop may still provide space to an animal shelter or animal rescue organization, whether located in Pennsylvania or elsewhere, to display dogs, cats, or rabbits available for adoption, so the classic "adoption counter inside a pet store" model remains legal even though direct retail sales are not.

The companion rule at § 163-34 closes the supply-chain loophole: it is unlawful for an animal shelter or rescue organization to pay to obtain a dog, cat, or rabbit from a breeder, from someone reselling a breeder's animals, or from a dog auction, which prevents shelters from laundering commercially bred animals into the adoption channel. The article defines an animal rescue organization as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose principal purpose is preventing cruelty to animals and whose principal activity is rescuing and re-homing sick, injured, abandoned, or displaced animals, and an animal shelter as a facility operated by or under contract with a political subdivision for impounding and caring for seized, stray, or surrendered animals. B, which keeps a violation record on file.