Contains whereas clauses. Amends Chapter 19A of the General Statutes by adding Article 7, GS 19A-80 which does the following:
(1) Prohibits the sale or lease (or the offer of) of cats or dogs for family, personal, or household use when the offer to sell or lease includes a provision authorizing the use of the cat or dog as security where the cat or dog can be repossessed by the seller or lessor contingent on the purchaser making payments;
(2) Excludes from this prohibition: agreements to lease pure-bread dogs for breeding, agreements to use a cat or dog in spectator events or entertainment media, agreements related to service animals, and agreements related to security or police/military dogs;
(3) Makes it a Class 2 misdemeanor to violate this prohibition;
(4) Establishes that violation of this prohibition constitutes and unfair and deceptive trade practice in violation of GS 75-1.1 (declaring certain unfair and deceptive practices affecting commerce unlawful); and
(5) Provides that contracts violating this prohibition are null and void.
Effective December 1, 2023, and applies to contracts entered into and offenses committed on or after that date.