Sale Of Live Animals Banned In West Hollywood

WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA — The West Hollywood City Council was being praised by an animal-rights organization Wednesday for its vote to ban sales of live animals, expanding an earlier prohibition on retail sales of cats and dogs in the city.

The council on Monday voted to amend its municipal code to ban the sale of reptiles, amphibians, arachnids, birds, fish, hermit crabs and mammals including rodents and rabbits, at pet stores within city limits.

California law prohibits the retail sale of cats and dogs, and West Hollywood enacted its ban on the popular pets in 2010, but the city's latest move takes the idea further by including most animals, according to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles.

Animals bred for retail sales often live in filthy, crowded conditions that leave the creatures susceptible to illness, suffering and death, according to a letter spcaLA sent to city leaders.

"Visionary leaders, such as West Hollywood's, create policies that are enacted for the greater good and to achieve the most mindful and humane world for animals, plants and the environment," said spcaLA President Madeline Bernstein. "Policies are created to reflect that vision, and would be supported no matter the number of retail pet stores in the city limits."

The organization provides lost pet housing for West Hollywood, whose residents can visit spcaLA.com/lost-pets for more information. For a list of spcaLA pet adoption centers, visit spcaLA.com.

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

West Hollywood's amendment is expected to be finalized by mid-September with enforcement beginning May 1, 2026.

City News Service