A new law banning the sale of dogs, cats and rabbits in pet stores across the state is set to take effect Sunday, Dec. 15.

Supporters say it’ll help crack down on sales stemming from “puppy mills” and breeders who don’t prioritize animal health. But some businesses are pushing back against the law, arguing they’re following the rules and now might need to close up shop.

“They look really cute, but what you don’t know is that they’re coming from terrible puppy mills and kitty mills where the animals are abused or just treated like commodities. They’re just trying to mass produce them,” said the legislation’s sponsor, State Senate Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris, a Queens Democrat. “So many of these animals are bred outside the borders of New York and the federal government just doesn’t dedicate the resources to conducting proper inspections and oversight of breeders.”

The measure was signed into law in 2022. Twenty-four shops will be affected within the five boroughs, according to the City Department of Health.

But some say, it’ll shut down small businesses already following state and federal law.

“Pet stores can no longer profit from pet sales and ultimately that’s gonna be a killer, it’s gonna put these stores out of business, it’s gonna put their employees out of jobs,” said Mike Bober, president of the Pet Advocacy Network, a Virginia-based nonprofit. “There are protections that New Yorkers have when they buy a pet from a pet store that they do not have anywhere else — and all those protections are going to go away on Sunday.”

On Friday, a judge denied a request filed by the Pet Advocacy Network and pet stores to halt the law they call “overbroad, arbitrary and economically destructive, targeting compliant businesses rather than addressing the alleged misconduct of unethical breeders,” in the 63-page filing.

Manhattan-based CitiPups is a plaintiff — it already announced that both their Chelsea and Upper East Side locations will be forced to close.

Gia Cano is the manager of Pet City, a family-owned business in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Although they haven’t sold dogs, cats or rabbits in years, they do sell birds, reptiles and fish.

“This is the space where I can see people showing off their pets, loving their pets, becoming pet owners,” Cano said.

She thinks the law is a good first step, but the state should take it a step further and target unsavory breeders here in New York.

“We still have customers inquiring where can I find a puppy, where can I find a kitten. It’s so hard to find them nowadays. All we can really do is point them in a direction of animal shelters, fostering programs,” Cano said.

Cano says affected store owners should consider offering grooming services or focus on pet accessories.

“It’s significantly easier to just sign up with a distributor, get some products in. People are always going to need products for their animals,” she said.

Pet stores still selling dogs, cats and rabbits after the 15th will be slapped with a $1000 fine per violation.