Welcome to Pet Watch New Jersey
Pet Watch New Jersey (PWNJ) is an educational website dedicated to providing information and guidance to individuals and families who are seeking to adopt or purchase dogs and cats, and offers information on many more issues impacting companion animals. We also research pet dealers who supply puppies to pet shops; breeders and puppy brokers; and fake and shady animal rescues.
The mission and goal of PWNJ are straightforward - to educate the public on the potential pitfalls of purchasing dogs or cats, and to promote the adoption of companion animals from shelters and reputable rescue groups.
We do not recommend specific breeders, animal shelters or rescues but if you encounter a problem with any pet dealer and need advice, send us an email and we will research the pet dealer and direct you to the proper agencies that have the authority and resources to help.
Want the latest news? Be sure to visit our Facebook page!
We've discontinued our e-list but we post news on puppy mills, breeders, brokers, pet shops, bad rescues, you name it, almost every day on our Facebook page. So if you want to stay informed on pet trade issues affecting NJ and the tri-state region (and a little beyond), click on the Facebook icon in the upper right box on this page.
New Jersey Puppy Lemon Law Update
Law now affects ALL pet dealers, not just pet shops!
Pet Dealer regulations were amended and adopted on January 12, 2012, and now cover ALL pet dealers, including breeders and puppy brokers, selling 5 or more dogs and cats per year. The best news for consumers is that all pet dealers are now liable for up to DOUBLE the puppy or kitten's purchase price for expenses incurred to treat sick or defective dogs and cats. This will apply to puppy brokers (many of whom buy high volumes of puppies from PA and Ohio puppy mills) as well as those fake rescues operating in New Jersey.
The new law also allows consumers fourteen (14) days, not five (5), to return veterinary certificates of unfitness back to the pet dealers!
Find the full text of the new amended law on our Puppy Lemon Law page.
Links to other NJ regulations and laws regarding animals can be found under NJ Animal Laws.
New Website Launched for Rescue Watch and Alerts
We’ve consolidated our rescue pages and incorporated them into a brand new website, Rescue-Abuse.com, where rescue groups as well as potential adopters will hopefully find useful information.
Consumer Alert
There are several bad puppy brokers operating in South Jersey and according to the buyers, none of the sellers are complying under the NJ puppy lemon law. These brokers buy puppies from PA and Ohio Amish puppy mills and paperwork is incomplete, including the Notification of Rights forms that spell out your consumer rights under NJ law. When contacted by buyers with reports of sick puppies, these unscrupulous puppy sellers deny responsibility for any vet bills. Please don’t buy from anyone advertising online or on Facebook.
If you want something with a designer name, buy a Prada purse, not a Prada puppy! And if you get stuck with a sick or defective puppy, for heaven’s sake, REPORT the pet dealers to the authorities who can go after them for breaking the law!
An educated consumer is a pet dealer's most feared customer!
Arm yourself with the facts about the pet trade, puppy mills, disreputable breeders and rescues before making a decision that could leave you emotionally and financially drained!