Pet stores next year will no longer be able to sell most living animals in West Hollywood, making it the first city in Los Angeles County to enforce such a widespread ban.
The West Hollywood City Council this week passed an ordinance prohibiting the sale of rabbits, amphibians, arachnids, birds, fish, reptiles and hermit crabs beginning on May 1, 2026. The ordinance expands upon an existing law, passed in 2010, that prohibits stores from selling dogs and cats in the city.
Animals that come from shelters, animal control facilities, humane societies and animal rescue organizations will still be able to be sold.
The only other city in California that bans the sale of live animals is Del Mar in San Diego County, according to the Pet Advocacy Network.
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles has been urging the city council to extend its existing ban to include more species.
“Just like puppy mills, animals that are bred for retail sales often live in filthy, crowded conditions that leave the animals susceptible to illness, suffering and even death,” the organization wrote in a letter to the city last year.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals hailed the city’s decision as a “significant win, especially for birds who are often captured in nature by animal dealers and smuggled into the U.S. more than any other animal.”
World Animal Protection, who worked with the city to enact the ordinance, said in a statement the ban protects countless animals from suffering.
“Animals sold in pet stores come from cruel mills where thousands of animals from bearded dragons to parrots are crammed into cages and tanks,” said Liz Cabrera Holtz, the organization’s senior program manager. “Many animals die before reaching the pet store.”
But one animal advocacy organization argued this expanded ban could undermine reputable retailers and drive black market animal sales and trafficking.
“West Hollywood is repeating failed policies instead of learning from them,” said Sandy Moore, CEO of the Pet Advocacy Network.
Moore told The Times the city is following in the footsteps of California’s statewide retail ban on dogs. She pointed to a Times investigation that found the state’s law “fueled a surge in underground markets where unlicensed and even criminal operators and scammers replaced pet stores,” she said.
The investigation revealed that many dogs were arriving from mass breeders in the Midwest and resold by people claiming to be small, local home breeders.
“Those are the same consequences we fear in West Hollywood: Responsible pet stores will be forced out, consumers will lose reliable choices and more animals will be pushed into an unregulated pipeline with no accountability,” she said.
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