Thanks to Councilmember Cindy Bass’s leadership, Philadelphia City Council has passed Bill No. 20989, which establishes a temporary pause on breeding dogs and selling or transferring puppies under 7 months old within the city. The bill’s goal is to reduce unwanted litters, help address shelter overcrowding, improve public safety, and give Philadelphia’s animal welfare system time to recover from the overcrowding crisis that ACCT Philly has been facing, with an average of 22 dogs coming into the shelter every day.

This page explains what the law means, to whom it applies, any exceptions, and where residents can get help.

ACCT Philly will be enforcing the new law on a complaint-driven basis. Our officers are not proactively looking for people who are breeding as our limited resources must be spent on responding to community requests for assistance. ACCT Philly is doing outreach to raise awareness of the new law and share the resources available such as free spay or neuter to help dog owners avoid accidental litters.

Our response to concerns does not change based on the volume of concerns about a specific address. In order to prioritize concerns appropriately, we ask that if you are wanting to make a report based on social media posts, please do not do so unless you are able to provide additional information such as the address of where the alleged violation is occurring. Concerns filed with incomplete information will be kept on record, but officers will not be dispatched unless the form is filled out in full. Due to the volume of requests for our officers to respond, we are not able to provide updates on submitted complaints.

Please note that as we implement this new legislation, portions of the process may change as needed. Only concerns about dog breeding or puppy selling that is taking place in Philadelphia should be reported to ACCT Philly. All concerns must be submitted using this form. ACCT Philly officers do not have law enforcement authority, so it is important that if you have concerns about cruelty and neglect, please contact the PSPCA directly.