Pet stores restricted to selling only rescue animals in San Francisco

Supervisor Katy Tang sponsored the legislation to amend the city's health code to restrict the sale of animals of unknown origins.

“Dogs and cats sold in pet stores often come from inhumane puppy and kitten mills that churn out animals with no regard for their health or well-being,” Tang said in a Facebook post.

The new rules also ban the sale of dogs and cats younger than eight weeks and require pet stores to keep records that prove where the animals came from, according to the San Francisco Examiner.

“We really do believe that it will send a great message not just in San Francisco but across California, nationwide and, hopefully, worldwide,” Tang told the Examiner.

Ultimately the city hopes the ban will help reduce the number of puppy mills and lower the number of animals in shelters.