What's happening
This bill requires New York to create and maintain a searchable lost and found domestic animal database and provide guidance for finding missing pets.
Why it matters
Creates a centralized, state-run database for lost and found domestic animals, making it easier for people across New York to search by county, animal type, and other details. This could standardize and streamline recovery efforts, reducing confusion and duplication across local agencies and social media.
Protects privacy by keeping finder and owner contact information confidential, only accessible to the department. This reduces risks of harassment or misuse of personal information for those reporting or searching for animals.
Establishes clear, publicly accessible guidance on how to search for lost pets and avoid common scams. By providing vetted, step-by-step tips (including scam warnings and verification methods), the state aims to empower pet owners and reduce the emotional and financial toll of pet recovery fraud.
Mandates the preservation of lost-and-found animal records for three years,. which could help with long-term reunification efforts and provide valuable data for tracking animal welfare trends over time.
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Who cares
Department of Agriculture and Markets
The bill would require the department to maintain a searchable lost-and-found domestic animal database, update it with public submissions and retain entries for three years.
Owners of missing domestic animals
They could search by county and animal type and access advice on finding animals and avoiding pet recovery scams.
People who find domestic animals
They could contact the department by email or telephone to submit animal information while keeping their own contact information off the website.
Local animal shelters and animal control agencies
The website would direct owners searching for missing animals to contact them.
Headline styles
Create Missing Pet Database
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to agriculture
- Referred to agriculture
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
154
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE (Prefiled)
January 8, 2025
Introduced by Sen. PALUMBO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Agriculture
AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to developing a database for missing domestic animals
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 16 of the agriculture and markets law is amended by adding a new subdivision 53 to read as follows:
53. (a) Develop and maintain a searchable database of lost and found domestic animals. An email or telephone number shall be provided on the website to allow an individual who has lost or found a domestic animal to contact the department. The information to be entered into the database shall be the type of animal; the animal's name; an identification number, if available; a photo of the animal; and the county where the animal was lost or found. The individual's contact information shall be kept within the department and not made available on the website. The database shall be searchable by county and type of animal and shall have a section to allow for other pertinent information that may assist with finding the animal. The department shall update the website upon receiving information from the public. Any information entered into the database shall be maintained for a period of three years.
(b) The website shall also provide the following information to assist owners searching for lost or missing animals:
"There are several things to remember when you lose a pet:
1. Act fast.
2. Call for them while checking areas in the home where they may be trapped.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00622-01-5
3. Scent is key; the pet's favorite food and dirty laundry left at the doorway can be helpful.
4. Search the neighborhood several times; ask neighbors, letter carriers and any delivery people you may see.
5. Lost pet signs; put them everywhere.
6. Use social media in addition to the New York state missing pet database.
7. Contact local animal shelters and animal control agencies.
8. Be wary of pet recovery scams. A few ways to recognize the lost pets scam are; if they demand you wire money, they refuse to meet in person, or they will meet but find an excuse why you should pay them before actually seeing the animal. To avoid being scammed, never wire money, do not ask leading questions, make them provide the description, and if you are absolutely confident the person has your pet, arrange to meet in a public place. If you find a missing pet and someone contacts you claiming to be the pet's owner, you must verify their claim. Vet records, breeding papers, even family photos are all viable ways to prove ownership. These tips are by no means an exhaustive list. There are many resources available to assist you from being scammed.
9. Don't give up.
Animals have been reunited with their owners after having been missing for months. Make sure your pet always wears a collar and an ID tag, or has a microchip."
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law.
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 develop- ing a database for missing domestic animals
Purpose
The purpose of this legislation is to provide a statewide, searchable database for missing pets.
Summary of provisions
Section 1. Section 16 of the agriculture and markets law is amending by adding a new subdivision 53 in relation to the Department of Agriculture and Markets developing and maintaining a database of lost and found pets. An individual will have the ability to either call or email the department and provide the necessary information. That information will be input to the database by the department. Contact information will remain within the department and not be made available on the website.
Section 2. Effective date.
Justification
Sadly, every year pets go missing throughout New York State with owners having limited ability to find and retrieve their fur family members. While many civic groups, Facebook pages and other organizations are dedicated to helping and finding lost animals, these efforts are widely scattered with a need for a central database for lost pets.
To address this issue and help make the heart-wrenching ordeal of find- ing lost pets easier, this legislation will create an organized, universal statewide resource to recover animals. With the enactment of this legislation, pet owners will have the ability to search a statewide database by county and animal type to help simplify and expedite the recovery of lost pets throughout New York State.
Legislative history
2024 S.3148; 2022 S.6522A
Fiscal implications
TBD
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.