Las Vegas, NV (KTNV) -- A room full of animal advocates joined Congresswoman Dina Titus for the announcement of new legislation cracking down on pet stores nationwide.

"I just can't understand how anybody can be cruel to an animal that can't fight back," Titus said.

According to Titus, some pet shops force animals to live in abusive conditions. Her new proposal would require pet shops to fall under the Animal Welfare Act and be inspected by the United States Department of Agriculture.

"They're in wire cages which is hard on puppy feet, they have very little room to turn around, they don't get out in play," Titus said describing the conditions.

Since the act was drafted in the 1960s, pet shops have been exempt.

Despite the exemption, Barbara Larsen, a former valley pet shop owner said, they're under strict regulation in Clark County.

"We're already inspected by our own animal control twice a year," Larsen said. "Any time anyone would call with a complaint, animal control would come out and look. Everything has to be completely up to date at all times."

In Larsen's opinion, federal inspections would be bad for businesses in an already tough industry. She said, the USDA doesn't have enough officers to inspect all the facilities.

"It's not to our benefit to have a dog injured or hurt, what would that do for us?" Larsen said. "It would do nothing."

But, what would so something is Titus' second part of the legislation to have a national registry of convicted animal abusers that way pet shops and rescues know where their animals are going. It's an idea that started with State Senator Mark Manendo, who's proposing the legislation on the state level.

"If a breeder or pet store has a customer come in they can look at that and say this person has  history," Manendo said.

"We want the FBI to now be responsible for tracking those kinds of crime," Titus added. "You cant do something bad in one state and cross over into another state and get away with it."

Titus said this legislation doesn't have anything to do with the recent pet store arson case in Las Vegas. But, she said it could help in future alleged animal abuse cases.

Titus is heading back to Washington next week and will begin work on the legislation.