Birds don’t belong in pet store cages — and New York City has the chance to say so loud and clear.

Right now, the NYC City Council is considering Intro 1325, a crucial bill that would ban the sale of birds in retail pet stores. This legislation, championed by Deputy Speaker Diana Ayala and backed by animal welfare experts, would finally end the cruel pipeline that treats intelligent, social animals like products on a shelf.

Birds sold in stores often come from massive breeding mills, where they’re packed into overcrowded cages, deprived of proper care, and torn from their families far too young. Many spend their lives confined in homes that can't meet their complex needs, leading to anxiety, aggression, and heartbreaking self-harm.

But the harm doesn’t stop there. The pet bird trade is linked to illegal wildlife trafficking, habitat destruction, and disease outbreaks. Even legally sourced birds contribute to a global system that exploits wild species and fuels biodiversity loss.

New York has already led the way by banning guinea pig sales. Now it’s time to go further.

We’re calling on the City Council to pass Intro 1325 and make NYC a national leader in protecting birds from cruelty and exploitation. Birds are not decorations. They deserve freedom, safety, and the chance to live as nature intended.

Sign and share this petition to demand the City Council do the right thing. Let’s make history for birds.