What's happening
This bill requires animal shelters in New York to prepare, submit, and publicly share annual reports on intakes, outcomes, and turn-aways.
Why it matters
Increases Transparency and Accountability. By requiring shelters to report detailed data on intakes, outcomes, and turn-aways—including reasons for euthanasia and turn-aways—the bill makes it easier for the public and authorities to monitor shelter practices and outcomes.
Informs Animal Welfare Policy. Publicly available, standardized data can be used by policymakers, advocacy groups, and researchers to identify trends, allocate resources, and develop targeted interventions for improving animal welfare.
Empowers Community Oversight. Mandating both electronic publication and on-site access to reports allows local residents and animal advocates to review shelter performance, potentially leading to greater community engagement and advocacy for improvements.
Highlights Shelter Capacity and Needs. Requiring shelters to disclose the number and reasons for animals being turned away helps illuminate gaps in capacity or service, which could prompt further funding or policy solutions to reduce animal homelessness and improve shelter systems.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Require Animal Shelter Reporting
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
2 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to agriculture
- Print number 4245a
- Amend (t) and recommit 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.
Require Animal Shelter Reports
In Senate Committee · Domestic Animal Welfare · Sponsor Monica Martinez
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4245--A
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 1, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. WEPRIN, COLTON -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. GLICK, MALLIOTAKIS, McDONOUGH, MONTESANO, SIMON -- read once and referred to the Committee on Agriculture -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to requiring animal shelters to prepare annual reports
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The agriculture and markets law is amended by adding a new section 374-a to read as follows:
§ 374-a. Animal shelter annual reports. 1. Any animal shelter shall, by March first of each year, prepare an annual report disclosing:
(a) the number of animal intakes, including, but not limited to animals that were:
(i) surrendered by owners;
(ii) brought in by animal control, specified by jurisdiction; and
(iii) strays taken in by someone other than the owner;
(b) the number of animal dispositions, including, but not limited to animals that:
(i) were adopted;
(ii) were released to owners;
(iii) were transferred to other facilities, specified by facility; and
(iv) died, specifying the reason for death, including, but not limited to natural causes or euthanasia, and specifying the reason for such euthanasia; and
(c) the number of animals that have been turned away from the shelter, and the reason such animals were turned away.
2. Each animal shelter shall send such report to the department electronically, and such department shall publish such reports on its website.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07399-04-9
A. 4245--A 2
3. Each animal shelter shall maintain at least one printed copy of such annual report to be viewed by the public on site upon request.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however that animal shelters subject to this act shall have completed their first annual report no later than January 1, 2024.
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.