What's happening
This bill restricts dog breeding by setting minimum and maximum breeding ages, limits litters per dog, and establishes care standards for pregnant and nursing dogs.
Why it matters
Raises animal welfare standards. by ensuring female dogs are only bred between 18 months and 6 years of age, reducing health risks to both mothers and puppies associated with breeding too young or too old.
Limits breeding frequency and total litters. no more than one litter per year and a maximum of four litters per female—helping to prevent overbreeding, exhaustion, and long-term health issues for breeding dogs.
Protects retired breeding dogs. by prohibiting their sale or transfer to other breeders for further breeding, aiming to prevent lifelong cycles of breeding and encourage better post-breeding care or adoption.
Mandates specific care standards for pregnant, nursing, and weaning dogs. , requiring whelping boxes and separate spaces, and setting a minimum eight-week age before puppies can be separated from their mother—measures that support healthy development and reduce stress and disease transmission among vulnerable animals.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Limit Dog Breeding Practices
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Referred to agriculture
- Referred to agriculture
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Limit Dog Breeding Practices
In Senate Committee · Agriculture · Sponsor Tony Avella
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6646
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
March 10, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. ENGLEBRIGHT, TITONE, ZEBROWSKI, DiPIETRO, CAHILL, HOOPER -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. ARROYO, COOK, GLICK, JOHNS, McDONOUGH, MOSLEY, MOYA, THIELE -- read once and referred to the Committee on Agriculture
AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to restricting the breeding of dogs and setting standards for the care of breeding dogs and their puppies
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Paragraphs (g) and (h) of subdivision 1 of section 401 of the agriculture and markets law, paragraph (g) as added by chapter 259 of the laws of 2000 and paragraph (h) as added by chapter 110 of the laws of 2012, are amended to read as follows:
(g) [In the event that a pet dealer has a pregnant or nursing dog on his or her premises, the pet dealer shall provide a whelping box for such dog.
(h)] Pet dealers shall designate and provide an isolation area for animals that exhibit symptoms of contagious disease or illness. The location of such designated area must be such as to prevent or reduce the spread of disease to healthy animals.
§ 2. Section 401 of the agriculture and markets law is amended by adding a new subdivision 8 to read as follows:
8. Breeding, birth and the care of puppies. (a) Female dogs shall not be bred unless they are at least eighteen months old and less than six years old. No female dog over the age of six years old shall be bred.
(b) (1) A female dog shall not be bred more than once a year.
(2) A female dog shall not be bred more than four times. After a female dog has whelped four litters, the dog shall be retired from breeding regardless of her age.
(3) A dog who has been retired from breeding shall not be sold, released, given, bartered or otherwise transferred to any other pet
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03333-01-7
A. 6646 2
dealer for the purpose of further breeding. All veterinary and transfer documentation pertaining to such dog shall reflect that the dog is retired from breeding.
(c) In the event that a pet dealer has a pregnant or nursing dog on his or her premises, the pet dealer shall provide a whelping or nesting box for such dog. A pregnant dog shall be separated from other animals in preparation for whelping not less than three days before the dog's estimated date of whelping. A nursing dog and her puppies shall be separated from other animals until the puppies are all weaned; provided that a pet dealer may keep two or more nursing dogs and their respective puppies together in a location separate from non-nursing dogs.
(d) (1) No puppy shall be separated from its mother and littermates until it is at least eight weeks old. All puppies and their mother must remain on the pet dealer's premises until the puppies are at least eight weeks old.
(2) The provisions of this paragraph shall not prohibit the temporary separation of puppies from the mother dog for the purpose of seeking necessary care from a veterinarian.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.