The New York City Council has passed a bill that requires automatic fire sprinklers in city pet stores.
The legislation passed Thursday with just one councilman opposing it.
It requires pet shops and other facilities that house animals for 24 hours to have the automatic sprinklers by December 2016.
The bill was introduced after several trapped animals were killed in fires in Manhattan, Queens and the Bronx.
The bill's main sponsor, Councilman Corey Johnson, says the sprinklers could mean the difference between life and death.
Councilman Jumaane Williams, who represents Brooklyn and voted against the bill Thursday, says he thought it was "a great bill." But he says he didn't agree with the fee that would burden small pet shop owners who had difficulty complying with the legislation.
