LAMC §53.73 bans retail sale of commercially bred dogs, cats, and rabbits in Los Angeles. Pet stores may offer these animals only if sourced from public shelters or registered nonprofit rescues. The 2012 LA rule preceded California's statewide AB-485 mirroring it.
LAMC §53.73 prohibits any pet store, retail business, or sidewalk vendor in Los Angeles from selling dogs, cats, or rabbits unless the animals come from a city or county animal shelter or a registered 501(c)(3) animal rescue partner. Stores must keep paperwork showing each animal's source and the rescue's tax-exempt status. Direct sale by hobby breeders to consumers is allowed, but no commercial breeding pipeline through retail is permitted. California AB-485, codified at Health and Safety Code §122354.5, extended a similar rule statewide in 2019, but LA's ordinance still applies and is enforced locally by Animal Services.
Selling commercially bred dogs, cats, or rabbits is a misdemeanor under LAMC §53.73, with fines up to one thousand dollars per animal per day and possible revocation of the store's animal-permit and business tax registration.
Los Angeles, CA
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Los Angeles, CA
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See how Los Angeles's pet store rules rules stack up against other locations.
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