10/08/2026
A win!
New York City is considering legislation that would prohibit pet shops from selling birds, including parrots, cockatiels, finches, parakeets and macaws.
Intro 912-2026 was introduced by Council Member Harvey D. Epstein on May 20, 2026. As of October 7, 2026, the official NYC Council record lists the bill in the Committee on Health with 22 Council Member sponsors. It has not become law.
The bill would prohibit pet shops from displaying, offering for sale, delivering, bartering, auctioning, giving away, transferring or selling covered birds. If enacted, it would take effect 30 days after becoming law.
The proposal comes amid concerns about the welfare of commercially bred companion birds. One documented case deserves particular attention.
On June 24, 2024, a USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service veterinary medical officer conducted a routine inspection at the Arden and Carol Plett facility in Checotah, Oklahoma. The USDA report recorded an indoor temperature of 93.4°F with a heat index of 110.7°F.
The inspector documented multiple dead birds, including at least three adults and three juveniles or babies. At least six juvenile and baby birds were outside their nest boxes on the cage floor, showing low posture, extended wings and open-mouth panting. The inspector stated that these signs, together with the ambient temperature, indicated severe heat distress. The facility was required to correct the temperature by noon on June 25, 2024. The report's species table lists 2,000 budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus).
It is also important not to overstate what the report proves. It documents conditions at one bird-breeding facility. It does not establish that every commercial breeder operates the same way, that all the deaths were caused by heat, or that this facility supplied birds to New York City pet shops.
The publicly accessible copy of the report used here is hosted by World Animal Protection US, an organization that is campaigning for Intro 912. The underlying document is a USDA APHIS inspection report.
There is also an important point about birds in New York's climate. Monk Parakeets are native to South America, yet New York has an established wild population of them. Cornell Lab of Ornithology notes that they live year-round in cities as far north as New York, and that their communal stick nests may help them survive cold winters. So the discussion should not be reduced to the claim that parrots simply cannot survive New York winters.
The more important question is:
How should cities regulate the commercial trade in animals whose welfare can depend on breeding conditions, transport, housing, social needs and the knowledge of the people who care for them?
At Birds Aviary, we believe this discussion should be based on documented evidence, not assumptions. We will continue following Intro 912 and separating verified facts, advocacy claims and unresolved questions.
Sources: NYC Council Legislation (Int 0912-2026); USDA APHIS Inspection Report, June 24, 2024; Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Monk Parakeet
