The New York City Council on Tuesday unanimously passed a bill that inspired some unusual levity in the chamber: banning the sale of guinea pigs at pet stores across the five boroughs.
The bill, born out of the pandemic, solicited chuckles among the Council’s rank-and-file as Speaker Adrienne Adams brought out a plush, stuffed guinea pig during this week's meeting.
So why did the Council ban stores from selling these cuddly creatures?
What’s wrong with pet shops selling guinea pigs?
Guinea pigs became all the rage during the early days of the pandemic when New Yorkers were battling lockdown isolation. At $50 a pop, the rodents were a cuddly distraction to lonely city dwellers.
Then things got out of hand. New Yorkers started buying multiple guinea pigs, which kicked off a breeding frenzy. Meagan Licari, the president of Puppy Kitty New York City, an animal rescue service, told the Council a harrowing tale of what she witnessed in December 2022 after she saw a guinea pig scurrying through an area of Elmhurst, Queens.
“When we headed over and started to look through the bushes, we kept finding more and more guinea pigs. We had chased them through the thick brush and we were able to rescue eight animals that day,” Licari said. “It was very difficult for them and for us as they were hiding in drain holes and heavy brush. One actually died, likely due to stress. They were terrified and starving and it was clear that they were dumped in this location with little chances at survival.”
New Yorkers couldn’t handle the overbreeding so they handed the animals over to the city-contracted Animal Care Centers of New York City en masse. The ASPCA also took in a large number of guinea pigs during the pandemic. The ACC had to shelter 600 guinea pigs in October 2022, and 500 in 2021 within the same time.
Why couldn’t pet stores just spay or neuter guinea pigs before selling them?
Pet stores are not required to sterilize guinea pigs, a reportedly costly procedure that runs somewhere between $400 to $515. And there are only two veterinarians in New York City capable of sterilizing guinea pigs, leaving the bulk of guinea pigs to reproduce at a fast clip.
How did the ACC handle the influx?
According to the ACC and the ASPCA, guinea pigs were becoming such a problem for the ACC that it purchased a $20,000 guinea pig tower to house the creatures.
So what does the bill do?
The bill amends the already existing Pet Shop Laws passed in the city in 2015, which barred pet stores from selling rabbits. This new bill simply extends the prohibition to the cute little rodents.
When does the bill take effect?
It takes 30 days once it officially becomes law.
Does Mayor Eric Adams support it?
The mayor – an unabashed hater of rats – hasn’t said much about the law banning their cavy cousins. But even if he opposes the bill, 48 lawmakers voted in favor of it, representing a vetoproof majority.
