What's happening
This bill strengthens standards for pet dealers in New York, mandating improved animal care, sanitation, veterinary exams, and grooming.
Why it matters
Ensures animals have proper light cycles. By requiring regular diurnal (day/night) light cycles—either natural or artificial—the bill aims to support animal health and well-being, preventing stress and health issues caused by constant or inappropriate lighting.
Improves conditions for pregnant and nursing dogs. The bill mandates not only a whelping box but also a separate, compliant space for pregnant or nursing dogs, ensuring they have enough room and a suitable environment to care for their litters, which can reduce stress and health risks for both mother and puppies.
Mandates stricter sanitation and cleaning routines. By specifying daily cleaning and bi-weekly sanitization (with clear standards for removal of waste, hair, and debris), the bill reduces the risk of disease outbreaks and ensures a healthier environment for animals and staff.
Requires annual veterinary exams for certain breeders. Dealers selling 25 or more animals per year, who breed on their premises, must now provide yearly veterinary exams for all unspayed/unneutered adult animals, helping to catch and treat health problems early and promoting responsible breeding.
Imposes regular grooming requirements. The bill’s new grooming standard (to prevent matting, overgrown nails, and parasites) targets common issues that, if left unaddressed, can cause pain, infection, and long-term health problems in animals.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Strengthen Animal Care Standards
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 4
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Committed to rules
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.669
- Referred to agriculture
- Referred to rules
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.
Strengthen Animal Care Standards
In Senate Committee · Agriculture · Sponsor Amy Paulin
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6784
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
June 16, 2017
Introduced by Sen. BOYLE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to the care of animals
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Paragraphs (e), (g) and (h) of subdivision 1 of section 401 of the agriculture and markets law, paragraphs (e) and (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:
(e) The indoor facilities housing the animals shall be provided with adequate lighting sufficient to permit routine inspection and cleaning and be arranged so that each animal is protected from excessive illumination which poses a health hazard to the animal. Animal areas must be provided with regular diurnal light cycles of either natural or artificial light.
(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. Separate and apart from the whelping box, a pet dealer shall provide a pregnant or nursing dog with a separate space accessible to her that complies with the standards set forth in paragraph (b) of this subdivision. Each nursing dog shall be provided with a sufficient amount of floor space to nurse and care for her litter.
(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 and must otherwise meet all housing requirements of this section.
§ 2. Subdivision 2 of section 401 of the agriculture and markets law, as added by chapter 259 of the laws of 2000, is amended to read as follows:
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01092-08-7
S. 6784 2
2. Sanitation. Housing facilities, including primary enclosures and cages, shall be kept in a clean condition in order to maintain a healthy environment for the animal. This shall include removing and destroying any agents injurious to the health of the animal and periodic cleanings. Primary enclosures must be cleaned daily and sanitized at least once every two weeks by washing all soiled surfaces with appropriate detergent solutions and disinfectant or by using a combination detergent or disinfectant product that accomplishes the same purpose with a thorough cleaning of the surfaces to remove excreta, feces, hair, dirt, debris and food waste to permit effective sanitization, followed by a clean water rinse. The primary enclosure or cage shall be constructed so as to eliminate excess water, excretions, and waste material. Under no circumstances shall the animal remain inside the primary enclosure or cage while it is being cleaned with sterilizing agents or agents toxic to animals or cleaned in a manner likely to threaten the health and safety of the animal. Trash and waste products on the premises shall be properly contained and disposed of so as to minimize the risks of disease, contamination, and vermin.
§ 3. Paragraph (c) of subdivision 3 of section 401 of the agriculture and markets law, as added by chapter 259 of the laws of 2000, is amended to read as follows:
(c) [Food] Sanitary food receptacles shall be provided in sufficient number, of adequate size, and so located as to enable each animal in the primary enclosure or cage to be supplied with an adequate amount of food.
§ 4. Subparagraphs (iv) and (v) of paragraph (a) of subdivision 5 of section 401 of the agriculture and markets law, as added by chapter 110 of the laws of 2012, are amended and a new subparagraph (vi) is added to read as follows:
(iv) Adequate guidance to personnel involved in the care and use of animals regarding handling and immobilization; [and]
(v) Pre-procedural and post-procedural care in accordance with established veterinary medical and nursing procedures[.]; and
(vi) In the case of dealers who sell or offer to sell twenty-five or more dogs or cats per year to the public for profit that are born and raised on the dealer's residential premises, annual veterinary examinations, at a minimum, for all intact adult dogs or cats on such dealer's premises.
§ 5. Section 401 of the agriculture and markets law is amended by adding a new subdivision 8 to read as follows:
8. Grooming. All animals shall be groomed regularly to prevent excessive matting of fur, overgrown toenails and flea and tick infestation.
§ 6. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to the care of animals
Purpose or general idea of bill
To provide additional provisions to the agriculture and markets law relating to grooming, sanitation, and veterinary exam requirements, as well as additional standards of care for nursing and pregnant dogs.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1 amends subdivision 1 of section 401 of the agriculture and markets law by adding a requirement to paragraph (e), which relates to indoor facilities and states that animal areas must be provided with regular diurnal light cycles of either natural or artificial light. Paragraph (g) of subdivision 1 is amended by adding a requirement that separate and apart from the whelping box, a pet dealer shall provide a pregnant or nursing dog with a separate space accessible to her that complies with standards set forth in the agriculture and markets law. In addition, each nursing dog shall be provided with a sufficient amount of floor space to nurse and care for her litter. Paragraph (h) of subdivision 1 is amended to provide that isolation areas must meet all housing requirements of this section.
Section 2 amends subdivision 2 of section 401 of the agriculture and markets law by adding the requirement that primary enclosures must be cleaned daily and sanitized at least once every two weeks according to the provided standards.
Section 3 provides that food receptacles must be sanitary.
Section 4 amends subdivision 5 of section 401 of the agriculture and markets law by adding a subparagraph (vi), which requires annual veterinary examinations for all adult dogs or cats on a pet dealer's premises. This provision applies to dealers who sell or offer to sell twenty-five or more dogs or cats per year to the public for profit that are born and raised on the dealer's residential premises.
Section 5 adds a new subdivision to section 401 of the agriculture and markets law. This subdivision provides that all animals shall be groomed regularly to prevent excessive matting of fur, overgrown toenails and flea and tick infestation.
Section 6 provides the effective date.
Justification
This bill will afford increased protections for animals in the care of pet dealers. The bill will require pet dealers to regularly groom the animals in their care. There have been reports throughout the state of pet dealers neglecting to properly groom animals, and animals have been found with excessively overgrown nails, excessive matting of fur, and flea and tick infestation. The bill also gives increased protections to nursing and pregnant dogs, by requiring that pet dealers provide such dogs with a separate amount of floor space, apart from her whelping box, which ensures that she can safely and adequately nurse and care for her litter.
Pet dealers must be held to standards that will promote the safety, good health, and overall well-being of the animals in their care. This legislation will afford much needed protections to improve the quality of life of these animals and will prevent negligent treatment by pet dealers.
Prior legislative history
New bill.
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
Effective on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.