Springfield, MA Animal Ordinances: Pet Store Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Ban
- Pet shop sale of dogs, cats, rabbits
- Allowed
- Adoption display for shelters/rescue groups only
- Adoption fee cap
- $500 per animal
- Penalty
- $300 per unlawful sale
- Effective
- Added April 5, 2021
Summary
Springfield bars pet shops from selling dogs, cats, or rabbits, allowing only adoption displays for shelters and registered rescue groups, under City Code § 110-14, added April 5, 2021.
It shall be unlawful for a pet shop to sell or offer for sale a dog, cat, or rabbit.
(2) A pet shop may provide space for the display of dogs, cats, or rabbits available for adoption only if such animals are displayed and made available for adoption by either: (A) a public animal control agency or shelter or (B) an animal rescue group, as defined, and all of the following conditions are met:
(a) Subject to § 110-7, any dog or cat displayed for adoption shall be sterilized and microchipped prior to being displayed, with the microchip registered to the owner;
(b) Any rabbit displayed for adoption shall be sterilized prior to being displayed;
(c) Any dog displayed for adoption shall be at least six months of age;
(d) Any dog displayed for adoption shall, prior to being displayed, be vaccinated against rabies, parvovirus, distemper, and hepatitis;
(e) Any cat displayed for adoption shall, prior to being displayed, be vaccinated against panleukopenia, calicivirus, rhinotracheitis (herpesvirus), and rabies;
(f) Each pet shop shall maintain records sufficient to document the source of each dog, cat, or rabbit the pet shop displays, for at least one year following the date of acquisition. Such records shall be made available, immediately upon request, to any animal control officer;
(g)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4680006; v21 updated 2025-12-15; through 12-15-2025).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 110-14(C)(1) makes it unlawful for a pet shop to sell or offer for sale a dog, cat, or rabbit anywhere in Springfield. A pet shop may still host adoption displays, but only for a public animal control agency, shelter, or a registered nonprofit rescue group, and only if the animals are sterilized, microchipped, and vaccinated, and the shop takes no cut of adoption fees, which are capped at $500 per animal. Street, flea-market, and parking-lot sales of dogs, cats, or rabbits are also barred outside limited fair and rescue exhibitions. The ordinance, added April 5, 2021, targets puppy-mill and kitten-mill supply chains.
Violations & Fines
Selling a dog, cat, or rabbit in violation draws a $300 fine per sale; unlawful adoption-display arrangements and unauthorized street or flea-market sales are each separately fined $300 per incident.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Springfield pet store sell puppies?
Can I still buy a puppy from a breeder in Springfield?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Springfield
Compare Springfield to another location·View the Massachusetts animal ordinances overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.