(AP) New York could ban retail pet shops from selling dogs, cats or rabbits as soon as mid-2021 under a Democratic state senator's bill. The state would join Maryland and California and hundreds of municipalities nationwide that have taken a stand to outlaw sales of those pets, says Deputy Senate Leader Mike Gianaris. Supporters including The Humane Society of the United States and the New York State Animal Protection Federation say the vast majority of New York pet stores already don't sell cats, dogs, or rabbits. But Libby Post, the executive director of the federation, says the proposal is an "opportunity for pet stores to rebrand themselves as compassionate businesses that put puppies over profits.''