Edie Falco of 'Sopranos' fame joins call to shut down puppy mill pipeline in NJ

One of New Jersey's most well-known (fictional) TV wives is using her platform to support legislation to stop the puppy mill pipeline in the Garden State.

Edie Falco, who rose to fame as mob wife Carmela Soprano on HBO's "The Sopranos," spoke in favor of the bill in a public service announcement on the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Instagram page this week. The legislation , sponsored by state Sens. Brian Stack and Raj Mukherji, would end the sale of dogs, cats and rabbits in pet stores throughout the state.

"This bill would prevent commercial breeders (puppy mills) from trucking cruelly bred puppies into your communities’ stores, ending the Garden State’s participation in the horrific puppy mill pipeline," reads a statement on the ASPCA website . "New York, Maryland, and California have passed similar laws, and a growing number of states are considering their own. New Jersey needs to catch up!"

Falco, a self-described "devoted animal advocate and longtime pet owner," detailed her own experience with puppy mills in the Instagram video. She adopted her dog, Sami, from a breeding facility where the animal lived in a cardboard box inside a dark basement, with no ability to see a veterinarian when she was sick or injured.

"She wasn't a pet," Falco said. "Her one job was to produce puppies."

Falco was fortunate to spend "12 glorious, love-filled years" with Sami following her adoption, she said in the video. But many dogs and other pets are not so lucky.

"As we speak, there are hundreds of thousands of dogs trapped in puppy mills just like Sami was," Falco said. "Their puppies are sent to New Jersey pet stores. With your support, we can stop this cruelty."

New York, Falco's home state, banned the practice in December 2022 when Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the bill into law . The measure goes into effect at the end of this year, and Falco hopes the state she called home for six seasons on "The Sopranos" is not far behind.

"I am asking you to join me in helping New Jersey do the same," Falco said. "End the sale of dogs in New Jersey pet stores."

For more information on the proposed bill and to send a message to state lawmakers, visit www.aspca.org/njpuppies .

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Edie Falco of 'Sopranos' fame joins call to shut down puppy mill pipeline in NJ