Attorney General James Sues Brooklyn Pet Store for Illegally Selling Hundreds of Puppies

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced that she has sued Quality Canines Inc., a pet store in Brooklyn operating as Puppy Boutique, for illegally advertising and selling hundreds of puppies, in violation of the Puppy Mill Pipeline Act. The law, which went into effect in December 2024, permanently bans the sale of dogs, cats, and rabbits by New York pet stores. An investigation by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) found that for more than a year and a half, Puppy Boutique has continued to source and sell puppies from puppy mills, in direct violation of the law that seeks to protect consumers from unknowingly purchasing sick pets and to curb animal abuse at puppy mills. Attorney General James is seeking to immediately stop Puppy Boutique from illegally selling dogs.

“Pets are valued members of our families, and anyone who brings a new pet into their home deserves a healthy animal,” said Attorney General James. “Puppy Boutique illegally sold puppies to New Yorkers, exposing them to heartbreak and exorbitant veterinary bills for animals raised in inhumane conditions. My office will continue to enforce the Puppy Mill Pipeline Act to ensure that animals across the state are protected, healthy, and free from mistreatment, and that abusive breeders are stopped.”

Puppy Boutique uses social media accounts, including Instagram and TikTok, and several websites including thepuppyboutique.com, puppypetite.com, and others to advertise puppies for sale. Instagram accounts associated with Puppy Boutique posted photos of puppies and included captions providing information on the sale of the puppies and contact information for the store, in violation of the Puppy Mill Pipeline Act.

In February 2024, the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (AGM) sent a letter to Puppy Boutique informing them that the Puppy Mill Pipeline Act would go into effect in December 2024. After the law took effect, Puppy Boutique continued to illegally advertise and sell dogs. In January 2025, OAG sent a cease-and-desist letter to Puppy Boutique and a few months later, in June 2025, the New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) sent a cease-and-desist order. In response, Puppy Boutique claimed to be working with a newly formed non-profit organization to adopt dogs at its storefront. However, this non-profit organization was not registered with AGM and sourced dogs directly from breeders, including known puppy mills in violation of the Puppy Mill Pipeline Act.

In March 2025, OAG conducted an undercover investigation and contacted Puppy Boutique using the phone number listed on an associated webpage advertisement. The investigator inquired about purchasing a Maltese puppy, and a representative from Puppy Boutique confirmed that puppies were available for purchase and provided pricing information. Following the phone call, the representative sent the undercover investigator a series of text messages, including several photographs of puppies available for purchase, a link to an Instagram page to view other dogs, pricing information, and store hours during which the investigator could visit the dogs for sale. The representative also told the investigator the puppy “can be taken home the same day as you come down.”

The OAG would like to thank the AGM and DOHMH for their assistance in this investigation.

“From the start, Attorney General James has been a great partner in enforcing our Puppy Mill Pipeline Act,” said Deputy Senate Leader Michael Gianaris. “Her actions today continue to send a strong message that this law is taken seriously and violators will be held accountable.”

“As any reputable business should know, the Puppy Mill Pipeline Law, which I was proud to sponsor, has been in effect for more than a year and a half,” said Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal. “The law expressly forbids the sale of dogs, cats, and rabbits in retail pet stores, but apparently that was not an obstacle for Puppy Boutique. Sourcing dogs from cruel puppy mills and fleecing unsuspecting consumers to the tune of thousands of dollars per animal will not be tolerated in New York state. I thank Attorney General James and her team for their work in enforcing this law and pursuing the bad actors who flout the law despite the harm it causes to humans and animals.”

This matter is being handled by Assistant Attorney General Deborah Diamant of the Brooklyn Regional Office, under the supervision of Assistant Attorney General in Charge Michael Barbosa and with support from Investigator Lorenzo Hernandez. The Brooklyn Regional Office is part of the Division of Regional Affairs, which is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General Jill Faber and overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy.