Starting next month, it will be no longer possible to purchase a dog, cat or rabbit from a pet shop in New York State.

The Puppy Mill Pipeline Act will disrupt large-scale breeding operations, often referred to as puppy mills, which have long been criticized for inhumane treatment and poor health conditions for animals.

Attorney General Letitia James said, “Bringing a new pet into a family should be a time of excitement and joy, but often animals from ‘puppy mills’ suffer from serious medical issues and leave families heartbroken over their sick pet and with a heavy bill to pay.”

James said the pet sale ban will “help put an end to the dangerous puppy mill to pet store pipeline that endangers pets and costs New Yorkers thousands of dollars in veterinary care.”

Under the new law, pet stores may still partner with nonprofit rescue organizations to showcase adoptable pets, but they could face fines of up to $1,000 per violation if they continue to sell, lease, or transfer ownership of these animals.

Putnam County does not have any pet stores that sell animals; however, Richard Doyle of Mahopac pleaded guilty to five counts of animal cruelty after being charged in the summer of 2015 with multiple counts of animal cruelty as well as witness tampering.

Doyle copped the guilty plea in Danbury Superior Court and was placed on three years probation and not sentenced to jail. He also was ordered to make a $5,000 donation to the Second Chance Rescue while having no affiliation with any pet shop or animal rescue shelter.

Doyle had originally been arrested in July 2015 and again in April 2016 on charges of animal cruelty and practice of veterinary medicine without a license.

Doyle, who owned pet shops in Danbury, Mohegan Lake and Wappingers Falls before selling the establishments, was accused of making an effort to remove a fluid-filled sac on a dog’s elbow without a veterinarian in attendance or without providing the St. Bernard puppy with anesthesia.