Palm Beach Gardens, FL Animal Ordinances: Pet Store Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Citation
- Palm Beach Gardens Code §§ 14-37, 14-38
- Puppy/kitten mills
- prohibited citywide
- Pet stores
- cannot sell/trade/transfer dogs or cats
- Adoption exception
- shelter/rescue-owned animals only
- Adopted
- Ord. No. 11, 2014, July 10, 2014
- Wind-down for prior sellers
- 180 days, ended Jan. 6, 2015
Summary
The City of Palm Beach Gardens bans puppy and kitten mills outright and bars every pet store within city limits from selling, trading, or otherwise disposing of a dog or cat. Code §§ 14-37 and 14-38, both enacted in 2014, leave stores free to host adoption events for animals owned by a public shelter or registered nonprofit rescue, so a retail pet store can still operate, just not as a dog or cat seller.
Sec. 14-37. - Puppy mills/kitten mills prohibited. It shall be unlawful for any person or entity to establish, operate, or maintain a puppy or kitten mill within the municipal boundaries of the City of Palm Beach Gardens. ... ... Sec. 14-38. - Sale or transfer of dogs and/or cats. No pet store shall display, sell, trade, deliver, barter, lease, rent, auction, give away, transfer, offer for sale or transfer, or otherwise dispose of dogs or cats within the city's municipal boundaries.
Full Breakdown
Sections 14-37 and 14-38, enacted together by Ordinance No. 11, 2014 on July 10, 2014, do two separate things: Section 14-37 flatly prohibits establishing, operating, or maintaining a puppy or kitten mill anywhere within the city, defined in Section 14-31 as a breeding facility meeting any two of seven listed conditions, such as keeping more than 15 puppies under 12 weeks or more than 15 kittens under 16 weeks at once, breeding a single female every cycle, or housing more than eight dogs or cats in one cage.
Section 14-38 goes further for retail stores specifically, prohibiting a pet store from displaying, selling, trading, delivering, bartering, leasing, renting, auctioning, giving away, transferring, or otherwise disposing of any dog or cat within city boundaries, functioning as a full retail sale ban rather than a sourcing restriction. Section 14-40 carves out the one exception the code allows: a pet store may still provide space and care for animals owned by a publicly operated animal control agency, a nonprofit humane society, or a county-registered nonprofit animal rescue, for the purpose of adopting those animals to the public, so an adoption-partner model remains legal.
A store lawfully selling dogs or cats before July 10, 2014 got a 180-day wind-down under Section 14-41, expiring January 6, 2015, after which the sale ban applied to every pet store in the city.
Violations & Fines
Violations of Sections 14-37 and 14-38 are prosecuted under Chapter 2's special magistrate process and Chapter 162, Florida Statutes, per Section 14-42, and the city may also file a civil action to enjoin a store or breeder from continuing to operate. Section 14-42(c) separately deems falsifying a required certificate of source an 'irreversible and irreparable' violation under Chapter 162, letting the magistrate skip the standard compliance-period notice and move straight to a fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a pet store in Palm Beach Gardens still sell puppies?
What counts as a puppy mill under the city code?
Could a store that sold dogs before the 2014 ban keep operating?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Palm Beach Gardens
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Palm Beach Gardens to another location·View the Florida animal ordinances overview
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Pet Store Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Palm Beach County handle pet store rules.