MN HF2627

Pet shops in Minnesota are prohibited from selling, offering to sell, bartering, auctioning, or otherwise transferring ownership of dogs and cats, effective August 1, 2026

Pet shops may provide space to 501(c)(3) nonprofit humane societies, animal control agencies, or rescue organizations to offer animals for adoption, but cannot have ownership interest in those animals or receive fees for the space

Existing pet shops that sold animals for at least one year before the effective date may continue operating if they source only from state-licensed or USDA-licensed breeders and display the breeder's license number on animal enclosures

Violations carry civil fines of up to $1,000 per animal transferred illegally, and pet shops operating under the grandfathered exception lose their exemption after three violations

Pet dealers must now provide purchasers with copies of all publicly available state or federal inspection reports for the breeder from the preceding three years