Legislative Alert: Action Needed Before March 2

Legislation has been introduced in the Oklahoma House of Representatives – Government Oversight Committee that would strip cities and counties of their authority to regulate puppy mill retailers such as Petland. If passed, HB 4335 would force communities to accept the importation of puppy mill puppies, the sale of sick animals, deceptive sales practices, and even predatory lending schemes.

This bill has already passed out of committee and is now headed to the full House for a vote. It is critical that we act quickly to stop it before it advances any further.

We urgently call on the animal shelter and rescue community — along with animal advocates across Oklahoma — to contact your Oklahoma State Representative and ask them to OPPOSE HB 4335.

Local pet shop ordinances are designed to protect both animals and consumers. They help prevent disease outbreaks, reduce animal cruelty, curb impulse purchases, stop predatory lending practices, and limit increased costs to local shelters. Preemption bills like HB 4335 would take away local governments’ ability to enforce these protections while still leaving communities responsible for the consequences. In effect, the state would create the problem while local taxpayers are left to pay for it.

Please contact your State Representative today and urge them to vote NO on HB 4335.

Click here to find your State Representative.

Thank you for taking action to protect animals and families in Oklahoma.

Sample Email Below:

Subject: Please Vote NO on HB 4335 – Protect Local Control in Our Community

Dear Representative [Last Name],

I am writing as your constituent to urge you to vote NO on HB 4335 when it comes to the House floor as early as Monday, March 2, 2026. This bill would take away the ability of Oklahoma cities and counties to decide whether retail pet stores can operate in their own communities. That authority should remain with local governments—not with the state, and certainly not with out‑of‑state corporate pet retailers like Petland.

HB 4335 would block any future local ordinances that restrict retail pet sales, even in communities that are already overwhelmed with stray animals, shelter overcrowding, and repeated problems with commercial breeders. The bill requires three or more convictions within five years under the state’s commercial pet breeder law before a city can act—an almost impossible standard in a state where enforcement is already limited and many violations never result in prosecution.

HB 4335 does not protect consumers. It does not protect animals. It does not protect communities. It protects out‑of‑state corporate interests at the expense of local decision‑making and public safety.

Please stand with Oklahoma communities and vote NO on HB 4335.

Thank you for your service and for considering my concerns.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[Your City], Oklahoma [ZIP]
[Your Email or Phone, if desired]

 

Oklahomans Against Puppy Mill Purveyors

On Monday, August 17, Oklahoma Alliance for Animals discovered that Petland, a retail store notorious for selling sick and dying puppies from puppy mills had been granted a building permit in the city of Tulsa near 71st and Highway 169. 

While the building permit has been approved and alterations to the site have begun, there is something that can be done to stop them. Our Mayor G.T. Bynum and Tulsa City Councilors can pass an emergency city ordinance banning the retail sales of puppies, kittens, dogs and cats in the city of Tulsa. 

The state of Oklahoma and Tulsa have a major pet overpopulation crisis, and thousands of dogs and cats are euthanized across the state in over-stuffed shelters every year. The last thing Tulsa and the surrounding area needs is a pipeline of un-healthy un-sterilized animals flooding the city. 

While Petland claims their dogs come from “licensed breeders,” we encourage you to remember the 84 puppy mill survivors we recently rescued from Sequoyah County. That breeder was licensed by the state, yet, she was charged with 84 counts of animal cruelty, and the dogs we rescued were in some of the worst states of neglect we’ve ever seen. 

WE NEED YOUR HELP

  • First, please sign this petition to show our Tulsa mayor and city councilors we are serious about stopping this puppy mill dog purveyor.
  • Second, email your city councilor (find their contact information here) and ask that they pass an emergency city ordinance banning the retail sales of puppies, kittens, dogs and cats in the city of Tulsa. You can use the text directly from our petition for your email. Just copy and paste! 
  • Third, spread the word to animal lovers across Tulsa and the metro area.

WHY SHOULD YOU TAKE A STAND AGAINST PETLAND?

Here are just a few reasons: