Boynton Beach, FL Animal Ordinances: Pet Store Rules (2026)

City Code Sec. 4-39, adopted by Ord. No. 18-032 on December 4, 2018, bars any pet store or pet supply store from displaying, selling, trading, delivering, bartering, leasing, renting, auctioning, giving away, transferring, or otherwise disposing of dogs or cats within the City. The section defines a pet store broadly as any retail establishment open to the public that sells or offers dogs or cats regardless of age, and may also sell other animals, grooming services, or pet supplies. The ban does not apply to an animal shelter or animal rescue organization, defined as nonprofit or public entities devoted to the rescue, care, and adoption of stray, abandoned, or surrendered animals that do not breed animals, nor does it stop a pet store from hosting a shelter or rescue operation inside its space.

A pet store may still provide space and care for dogs and cats owned by a shelter or rescue for adoption purposes, keeping the adoption-only model open even for retail locations. Any store lawfully selling dogs or cats before the ordinance's effective date got an 18-month wind-down: sales could continue only until March 5, 2020, calculated from a September 6, 2018 baseline. S. Chapter 162's code enforcement process, and the City can also bring a civil action in any court of competent jurisdiction to enjoin a violation, giving the City an injunctive remedy in addition to citations.