St. Louis restricts pet stores from selling commercially bred dogs and cats, requiring most retail sales to come from shelters or rescues under Title VI to combat puppy-mill sourcing in Missouri.
St. Louis joined a wave of Missouri municipalities adopting humane pet-store ordinances after long-standing concerns about commercial breeders. Title VI generally requires retail dog and cat sales to source animals from public shelters, recognized rescue organizations, or approved private breeders meeting strict standards. Stores must post the source of each animal, breeder USDA license number where applicable, and full medical history. Inspections by the Department of Health and Animal Care verify recordkeeping. Grandfathered shops faced phase-in periods and must still comply with disclosure rules.
Selling unsourced or improperly documented animals brings escalating fines, license suspension, and revocation of business permits; repeat offenders face referral to state attorney general consumer-protection division.
St. Louis, MO
St. Louis prohibits ownership of dangerous wild animals under SLRC 10.16 and RSMo 578.023. Banned species include large cats, bears, primates, venomous snake...
St. Louis, MO
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See how St. Louis's pet store rules rules stack up against other locations.
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