Overview

• The City Council adopted Ordinance No. 25-21, expanding a 2010 dog-and-cat retail ban to include amphibians, arachnids, birds, fish, hermit crabs, small mammals such as rodents and rabbits, and reptiles.
• The ordinance takes effect May 1, 2026, according to the Los Angeles Times, after earlier local reports offered differing compliance dates.
• West Hollywood becomes the first city in Los Angeles County to enact such a broad prohibition, with Del Mar cited as the only other California city with a similar ban.
• The Petco on North Doheny Drive—the city’s only affected retailer—must end sales of small animals by the effective date, while animals from shelters and rescues may still be offered.
• Advocacy groups including PETA praised the action as an animal-welfare win, while the Pet Advocacy Network warned it could drive unregulated sales.