Henderson Puppy Store Shut Down Amid Permit Violations and Mounting Welfare Concerns

Animal advocates are calling for a permanent closure after The Puppy Store in Henderson was ordered to halt live animal sales — just weeks before a major Las Vegas City Council vote that could redefine how pets are sold citywide.

The City of Henderson has issued a stop-work order against The Puppy Store on Sunset Road, citing multiple violations of its animal establishment permit.

Effective October 14, 2025, the order prohibits the business from selling live animals while the city investigates compliance concerns.

Store representatives insist it’s a clerical misunderstanding, but for animal welfare advocates, this closure marks a turning point.

With Las Vegas preparing to vote on November 5 on whether to ban the retail sale of dogs and cats, pressure is mounting to finally address what activists describe as the “puppy mill pipeline” that has long supplied Nevada pet stores.

City inspectors said the Henderson store was operating in violation of its permit, triggering the temporary shutdown.

While management characterized the issue as “administrative,” advocates claim it’s part of a much larger problem tied to systemic animal welfare failures.

Gina Greisen, founder of Nevada Voters for Animals, told local media: “The fact that you’re now in violation of the policies and procedures that are put in place to protect these animals from the city, you need to just be shut down.”

The incident has reignited outrage over the state’s lenient pet retail laws — and renewed calls for a statewide ban on commercial animal sales.

Owners David and Veronica Salinas are no strangers to scrutiny.

In May 2024, a federal jury in California awarded PetConnect Rescue $3.9 million in damages after finding the couple and their associates guilty of “puppy laundering.”

The case revealed that the group had falsely labeled mass-bred dogs as rescues to circumvent California’s retail ban.

Despite that judgment, KTNV Las Vegas reports that the Salinases continue to operate Nevada stores under The Puppy Store brand — including the shuttered Henderson branch and another in Las Vegas.

A months-long undercover investigation by the Humane Society of the United States exposed troubling conditions across six Las Vegas–area pet stores, including those linked to The Puppy Store.

Investigators documented sick puppies receiving no veterinary treatment, employees improvising makeshift nebulizers, and supply chains connecting local stores to Midwest puppy mills in Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri.

KTNV’s coverage revealed that stores typically purchased puppies for around $800 before marking them up to several thousand dollars.

The investigation also publicized the death of a Havanese puppy named Cindy Lou, whose delayed care inspired “Cindy Lou’s Law” — a pending statewide retail ban still awaiting Senate approval.

In May 2025, former employees released videos on Instagram showing puppies confined in plastic storage bins and alleged that staff were instructed to mislead customers about animals’ health.

The footage, shared widely by Real Vegas Locals, prompted the store to issue a cease-and-desist order demanding its removal.

While the claims remain unverified by regulators, multiple ex-staffers have since corroborated similar stories of neglect and deception.

While Clark County banned retail animal sales in 2022, the ordinance does not apply to incorporated cities like Henderson or Las Vegas — a loophole that has allowed stores like The Puppy Store to continue trading.

In July 2025, Mayor Shelley Berkley introduced legislation to phase out retail sales over three years while banning new stores from opening.

Henderson has yet to follow suit but recently passed “Reba’s Law” — a measure allowing residents to break vehicle windows to rescue animals in distress.

Despite these steps, advocates argue that Henderson’s policies stop short of addressing commercial breeding and retail sales, the very systems feeding shelter overcrowding.

After nearly a decade of delays, the Las Vegas City Council is set to vote on November 5, 2025 on whether to prohibit the sale of dogs and cats in pet stores.

The proposed ordinance would immediately ban such sales in newly licensed stores while giving existing businesses a three-year transition period before the restriction takes full effect.

Animal advocates, including Rebecca Goff of Humane World for Animals, have called the proposal “long overdue,” arguing there’s “no humane way” to maintain the current pet shop system.

Meanwhile, the Animal Foundation continues to shelter nearly 800 animals at a time — a strain that many say is directly linked to the influx of commercially bred puppies.

Opponents, including the Pet Advocacy Network, claim the ban could devastate small businesses and increase unregulated backyard breeding.

Industry representatives point to California’s experience as proof that bans don’t eliminate demand but rather push sales underground.

The November vote — repeatedly postponed from earlier in the year — will determine whether Las Vegas joins Clark County, North Las Vegas, and Mesquite in adopting a full ban.

Advocates hope it will mark the beginning of the end for puppy mill–linked retail stores across Southern Nevada.

Puppies from the closed Henderson location have been transferred to The Puppy Store’s Durango Drive branch, which remains open.

Protests outside the shuttered storefront have continued, with demonstrators demanding the city make the closure permanent.

Local advocacy groups, like Nevada Voters for Animals and Heaven Can Wait, are rallying supporters to attend the November 5 hearing.

“It’s time for Las Vegas to stand with its neighbors,” said one campaign organizer. “Every day of delay means more dogs suffering.”