Hillsborough County, FL Animal Ordinances: Pet Store Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- New pet shops
- Adoption/rescue sourcing only
- ID requirement
- RFID microchip on every animal
- Records kept
- 3 years, filed annually
- Grandfathered shops
- Lost privilege, must convert
Summary
New pet shops in Hillsborough County may not sell dogs or cats sourced from breeders: only animals from shelters, rescues, or an approved non-breeder sourcing model.
No new pet shop shall offer for retail sale dogs or cats in Hillsborough County, unless that dog or cat was obtained from:
(1) An animal shelter;
(2) A rescue organization;
(3) Some other sourcing model, as approved by the Department, which does not include commercially bred intact animals to be resold to the public, whether purchased directly from a commercial breeder or from some other intermediary such as a broker or wholesaler.
(b) All dogs and/or cats offered for retail sale in Hillsborough County, by a new pet shop, an animal shelter, rescue organization, or some other approved sourcing model, shall be required to be implanted with a permanent electronic animal radio frequency identification device (RFID-microchipped), registered to the legal owner of the animal.
(c) The following record keeping and disclosure requirements shall apply to all new pet shops:
(1) New pet shops shall post and maintain on each animal's cage, kennel, or enclosure, within clear view and in a reasonable proximity thereof, a label stating the name and address, including city and state, of the animal shelter or rescue organization from which the new pet shop acquired the animal or that owns the animal kept in the cage, kennel, or enclosure.
(2) New pet shops shall maintain records, stating the name and address of the animal
Full Breakdown
Sec. 6-63(a) bars any new pet shop in Hillsborough County from selling dogs or cats unless they came from an animal shelter, a rescue organization, or another Department-approved sourcing model that excludes commercially bred animals resold through breeders, brokers, or wholesalers. New pet shops must microchip every dog or cat sold (Sec. 6-63(b)), post the source shelter's or rescue's name and address on each cage, and keep three years of sourcing records for County inspection (Sec. 6-63(c)). Existing pet shops that registered for the grandfather privilege by 2018 lost it one year after the 2020 amendment and had to convert to the adoption-based model (Sec. 6-61(d)).
Violations & Fines
Falsifying sourcing records is unlawful under Sec. 6-63(c)(4); Sec. 6-65 makes any violation of the article punishable, potentially including citations and civil penalties against the pet shop.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can any Hillsborough County pet store still sell breeder puppies?
Where can new pet shops get dogs and cats to sell?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hillsborough County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Hillsborough County to another location·View the Florida animal ordinances overview
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