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Lynbrook Starbucks pushes for pay raise By Ainsley Martinez amartinez@liherald.com
Courtesy Anna Carron
Starbucks employees at the store in the Gallery at Westbury Plaza on Dec. 22.
About a dozen employees of the Lynbrook Starbucks, members of Starbucks Workers United, returned to work on Dec. 29 after taking part in a national five-day strike — but many members of the employee-led union say their appetite for negotiating higher pay and more stable work environments at the coffee company remains strong. Liv Ryan, a shift lead at the 839 Sunrise Highway location and a marketing delegate for the Starbucks union, said that ContinueD on PaGe 7
Shake A Paw will close after pet store animal sales are banned By Ainsley Martinez amartinez@liherald.com
Shake A Paw, a pet store chain with locations in Lynbrook and Hicksville, will close after clearing out its products, following years of controversy over its sales of reportedly sick puppies and the enactment of New York’s new Puppy Mill Pipeline Law Act. The law, which prohibits pet stores from selling dogs, cats and rabbits, aims to address the problem of animals coming from so-called puppy mills. It took effect on Dec. 15. The closure of Shake A Paw, however, comes amid growing opposition from other pet store
owners to the new law. In late November, four store owners on Long Island filed a lawsuit in New York State Supreme Court, challenging the legislation. The plaintiffs argued that it is an unjust infringement of their due-process rights under the 14th Amendment of the Constitution. The lawsuit claims that the ban on pet sales lacks a “rational means” to achieve a “legitimate legislative purpose,” witho u t ev i d e n c e t h at i t w i l l improve animal welfare or consumer protection. “Pet stores already abide by the strictest standards for sourcing their animals.” the
complaint states. “A blanket ban on pet sales will force these responsible pet stores out of business and put their employees out of work, creating an unnecessary burden on our community and economy while fueling a black market where roadside sales are already happening.” Jonathan Gill, an attorney representing the plaintiffs, pointed to a similar law in Califor nia, which took effect in 2019, contending that it failed to end the sale of dogs by puppy mills — commercial breeding operations — and instead drove the market underground. The ASPCA, which played a key role in lobbying for the
New York law, defends the measure as a necessary step to combat the inhumane conditions in which many animals are bred. Bill Ketzer, the ASPCA’s senior director of state legislation, emphasized that the law will protect consumers from dishonest retailers and prevent the sale of animals by puppy mills. “Pet stores often advertise
that their animals are ‘top quality’ and come from ‘responsible breeders,’ but the sad reality is that these dogs are trucked in from out-of-state commercial breeding facilities, also known as puppy mills,” Ketzer said. He noted that the new law also encourages consumers to adopt animals from shelters or rescue organizations, which ContinueD on PaGe 13