Miami-Dade County Chapter 5 restricts retail pet stores from selling dogs and cats sourced from commercial breeders, steering buyers toward shelters, rescues, and humane sources to curb puppy-mill supply chains.
Chapter 5 of the Miami-Dade Code bars pet stores in unincorporated Miami-Dade from selling commercially bred dogs and cats. Stores may instead host adoption events with Animal Services or partnered 501(c)(3) rescues, displaying source documentation for every animal on premises. Stores must keep written records of each animal’s origin, health certificate, and rabies vaccination history available for inspection. Sales of supplies, fish, reptiles, and birds are not affected. The ordinance was adopted to align with Florida’s broader move against puppy-mill retail and to support the no-kill goals of Animal Services.
Selling commercially bred puppies or kittens, or failing to maintain source records, can result in escalating fines, suspension of the local business tax receipt, and Animal Services seizure of animals.
Miami-Dade County, FL
Miami-Dade is not a sanctuary jurisdiction. After being labeled a sanctuary 2013 to 2017, then-Mayor Carlos Gimenez ordered full ICE cooperation in January 2...
Miami-Dade County, FL
Miami-Dade cannot mandate paid sick leave or predictable scheduling for private employers. House Bill 433 (2024) preempts all local employment benefits, hour...
Miami-Dade County, FL
Miami-Dade cannot set its own minimum wage above the Florida rate. The state Constitution Article X Section 24 fixes the floor at $14.84 in 2026, rising to $...
Miami-Dade County, FL
Every business operating in unincorporated Miami-Dade needs a Local Business Tax Receipt under Chapter 8A, with rates set by classification on a county sched...
Miami-Dade County, FL
Miami-Dade's Living Wage Ordinance (Chapter 2 §2-8.9, enacted 1999 as the first U.S. county living-wage law) requires direct county service contractors and a...
Miami-Dade County, FL
Hotels and short-term rentals in Miami-Dade collect a combined 13 percent tax: 6 percent state sales tax, 4 percent Convention Development Tax, 3 percent Tou...
See how Miami-Dade County's pet store rules rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.