Photo: WBZ NewsRadio/Madison Rogers
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — During a breakfast on Beacon Hill on Wednesday, local animal advocates unveiled their 2025 animal protection agenda among lawmakers.
The Animal Rescue League, Humane Society of the United States, Animal Legal Defense, and the MSPCA's Advocacy Team highlighted several newly filed animal protection bills to reign in animal cruelty in the new legislative session.
Kara Holmquist, MSPCA Director of Advocacy, told WBZ NewsRadio's Madison Rogers that the MSPCA is proposing several measures to keep people and pets together, stop puppy mills, and prevent animal cruelty.
"Some of the bills crack down on animal cruelty and improve our animal cruelty laws. We're also really looking at the problems with people being separated in housing situations because they don't allow pets and looking to remove barriers to that. They are also looking to protect animals who are in the puppy mill to pet shop pipeline by restricting what pet shops can sell unless they partner with shelter with partners and rescues," Holmquist said.
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The MSPCA supports bills (SD 1154 and SD 1155) sponsored by Senator Patrick O’Connor to prevent pet stores, or new pet stores, from selling dogs, cats, and rabbits without a shelter partnership. Holmquist wants Massachusetts to follow in New York's footsteps after the state passed a similar ban that went into effect in December, 2024 prohibiting the retail sale of dogs, cats, and rabbits.
One bill would make it more difficult for landlords to ban pets, banning restrictions based on breed or size.
The MSPCA is also working to phase out some rodenticides that can be harmful to wildlife and pets and end animal product testing.