Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Puppy Boutique, a pet store in Dyker Heights, alleging the shop continued selling puppies more than a year after New York banned the practice, according to the Brooklyn Eagle. James is asking a court to immediately halt the store’s dog sales.
The Puppy Mill Pipeline Act, which took effect in December 2024, bans New York pet stores from selling dogs, cats, and rabbits. The law does not apply to breeders or rescue organizations, an exception Puppy Boutique allegedly tried to exploit.
James’s office sent Puppy Boutique a cease-and-desist letter in January 2025. The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene sent a second one in June 2025. The store allegedly kept advertising puppies across multiple websites and social media accounts throughout that period, the Brooklyn Eagle reported.
After the cease-and-desist letters, Puppy Boutique claimed it had partnered with a rescue organization to offer dogs for adoption at the storefront. But the nonprofit was unregistered, according to the Brooklyn Eagle, and allegedly sourced dogs directly from breeders. Some were operations James’s office identifies as known puppy mills.
In March 2025, James’s office conducted an undercover investigation. An investigator contacted Puppy Boutique about purchasing a Maltese puppy. A store representative then allegedly sent several texts, including photos of the puppies, a link to an Instagram page to view other dogs, prices, and store hours. The rep told the investigator that puppies “can be taken home the same day as you come down,” the Brooklyn Eagle reported.
Featured image: Bushwick Daily archive
