A Brooklyn pet store on Wednesday was sued by New York Attorney General Letitia James for allegedly selling hundreds of puppies online in violation of state law.
New York Attorney General Letitia James said her office sued Quality Canines Inc., a pet store in Bensonhurst, which operated under the name Puppy Boutique, for illegally advertising and selling hundreds of puppies, in violation of the Puppy Mill Pipeline Act. The law, which went into effect in December 2024, permanently bans the sale of dogs, cats, and rabbits by New York pet stores.
An investigation found that for more than a year and a half, Puppy Boutique continued to source and sell puppies from puppy mills in direct violation of the law, according to James.
Puppy Boutique uses social media accounts, including Instagram and TikTok, and several websites including thepuppyboutique.com, puppypetite.com, and others to advertise puppies for sale. Instagram accounts associated with Puppy Boutique posted photos of puppies and included captions providing information on the sale of the puppies and contact information for the store, in violation of the Puppy Mill Pipeline Act, James said.
The Puppy Boutique website says it sells Maltese, Shih Tzu, Pomeranians, Chihuahuas, Poodles and Yorkies. "Sorry we do not ship our babies. They must be picked up in person," the website says.
In February 2024, the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets sent a letter to Puppy Boutique informing them that the Puppy Mill Pipeline Act would go into effect in December 2024. After the law took effect, the company continued to illegally advertise and sell dogs, according to James. After two cease-and-desist orders were sent out by two different agencies, the company allegedly claimed to be working with a newly formed non-profit organization to adopt dogs at its storefront. However, this non-profit organization was not registered and sourced dogs directly from breeders, according to James.
In March 2025, the OAG conducted an undercover investigation and contacted Puppy Boutique using the phone number listed on an associated webpage advertisement. The investigator inquired about purchasing a Maltese puppy, and a representative from Puppy Boutique confirmed that puppies were available for purchase and provided pricing information.
Following the phone call, the representative sent the undercover investigator a series of text messages, including several photographs of puppies available for purchase, a link to an Instagram page to view other dogs, pricing information, and store hours during which the investigator could visit the dogs for sale. The representative also told the investigator the puppy “can be taken home the same day as you come down," according to James.
“Puppy Boutique illegally sold puppies to New Yorkers, exposing them to heartbreak and exorbitant veterinary bills for animals raised in inhumane conditions," James said in a statement. "My office will continue to enforce the Puppy Mill Pipeline Act to ensure that animals across the state are protected, healthy, and free from mistreatment, and that abusive breeders are stopped.”
