Public testimony divides council as Philadelphia amends and advances temporary puppy-breeding moratorium

Philadelphia City Council heard roughly two hours of public comment on a proposed temporary moratorium on the breeding and transfer of puppies before adopting an amendment to Bill 250989 and placing the amended measure on the final-passage calendar.

The most sustained public testimony occurred during the allowed comment period for items on the second-reading and final-passage calendars. Veterinarians, shelter staff and rescue volunteers described acute overcrowding at the city's open-intake shelter and urged the council to take emergency action. "Backyard breeding prioritizes profit over welfare," said Amanda Eldridge, a veterinarian, who described litters arriving with parvovirus and dogs needing emergency procedures. Rescue advocates testified that intake and time-to-euthanasia pressure at ACCT/ACT Philly has forced difficult decisions at the shelter and that a temporary pause on some commercial breeding and transfers would reduce intake pressure and create time for permanent solutions.

Breeders and representatives of national organizations countered that the proposed moratorium would sweep in responsible hobby breeders and raise practical enforcement and zoning problems. "The bill applies a blanket three-year moratorium that would primarily impact responsible hobby breeders who are not contributing to the shelter intake," said Charlie Hall of the American Kennel Club, who urged council to table the ordinance and convene a stakeholders group during the bill's 90-day lead time.

Councilmember Cindy Bass, sponsor of the moratorium, said the measure focuses on unlicensed and illegal operations while preserving exemptions for licensed kennels. Bass offered an amendment on the floor that council adopted, after which the chair said the bill will be placed on the final-passage calendar at the next session. "This revision will make that intent explicit," Bass told the chamber, urging the body to protect animals and recognize feedback from both sides.

Supporters and opponents offered differing factual claims that council members noted without adopting as findings. Public commenters included claims that a shelter had "euthanized over 2,000" animals since 2024 and that fewer than 5% of eligible Philadelphians accessed a local wage-tax refund program; those figures were presented to illustrate urgency and to argue for policy changes but were offered as testimony rather than as council determinations.

The next procedural step is the bill's appearance on the final-passage calendar, where council will again consider the measure and any additional amendments. No final vote on the moratorium was recorded in this session.

Local animal-welfare organizations and breeders signaled they will continue to press council during the interim. Several speakers requested a stakeholder convening and additional data on enforcement resources and licensing thresholds before a final vote.