The City of West Hollywood voted unanimously to ban the sale of live animals at pet stores (not including adoptions from non-profits).

This ban expands on the existing ban instituted in 2010 on the the sale of cats and dogs at retailers as explained in: West Hollywood Municipal Code Chapter 9.50.020 that says within the city limits no pet store can:

“display, sell, deliver, offer for sale, barter, auction, give away, or otherwise transfer or dispose of dogs or cats,”

Which has been in effect since September 17th 2010.

City policy outlined in the separate West Hollywood Fur Ban made WeHo the first jurisdiction in the entire U.S. to prohibit the sale of fur apparel products, including “any item of personal attire, clothing or garment, which is composed in whole or in part from the pelt or skin of any animal with its hair, fleece (wool) or fur attached.” 

The so called “fur ban” that started in September of 2013 still allowed stores to sell fur within the city limits with the loophole being as long as they were non-profits or animals that have been taxidermy’d. 

It also allows fur to be sold by private parties, second-hand stores, and also pawn shops.

Now in 2025 the city is amending Chapter 9.50.020 to extend the ban beyond dogs and cats to also include; rabbits, reptile, birds, arachnids, fish, rodents, amphibians, and hermit crabs.

There is one pet store in city limits that is affected; a Petco on North Doheny Drive the currently sells fish, guinea pigs, and hamsters according to the WeHo Times.

Also according to the WeHo Times the SPCALA: Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles is responsible for a campaign that brought the ordinance into fruition.

The SPCALA sent out a statement regarding their campaign and no ordinance:

“Last year, SPCALA urged the city to extend the 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. SPCALA’s letter also outlined the Pet Trade Industry’s “reckless disregard” for human and animal health as they are unconcerned for public health issues (zoonotic diseases), environmental impact (poaching, invasive species), and the impact on local shelters.” 

Madeline Bernstein president of the SPCALA said that the “visionary leaders” of West Hollywood were creating a path that can make “the most mindful and humane world for animals, plants and the environment.” 

“Where West Hollywood goes – such as banning cat declawing and the sale of fur – so does California, and eventually the country,” Bernstein said.

Enforcement of the ordinance will begin some time in 2026 after finalization and period of amortization that will last until May 1st of 2026.

The city of West Hollywood has been at the forefront of animal rights ordinances in the U.S. starting back in 1989 when it declared the city was a “Cruelty Free Zone” and in 2004 when the barbaric practice of cat “declawing” was banned within city limits marking the very first ban in the United States. 

The city also adopted the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act which later became a California state wide law.