NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A2756
SPONSOR: Titone (MS) TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the state law, in relation to desig-
nating service dogs as the official state dog
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL: To designate Service & Working Dogs
as the Official State Dog of New York
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1: The state law is amended by adding a new section 89 designat-
ing the Service & Working Dog as the Official Dog of New York State
Section 2: Establishes the effective date
JUSTIFICATION: In New York State, service and working dogs have made
an unquestionable impact on our daily lives. Every day, across New York,
service and working dogs protect, comfort, and give their friendship and
affection to the ill, the infirm, the wounded veteran, as well as chil-
dren and seniors in need of assistance or simply an attentive friend.
Our State Dog should acknowledge the hard work and dedicated commitment
of humanity's best friend in all facets of our lives. Recognizing the
efforts of the working dog will foster a better appreciation of dogs and
their contributions to the betterment of our daily lives, which goes
well beyond that of being really great pets. Building a foundation of
respect for working dogs can be an effective tool in helping to prevent
abuse and neglect for all dogs in New York. In addition, this legis-
lation can help to raise awareness about the possibility of adoption of
service dogs upon their retirement, particularly those dogs who serve in
the military.
In 1997, New York State made history when the first Puppies Behind Bars
(PBB) program was developed to teach prison inmates to raise and train
service dogs for wounded war veterans and explosive detection dogs for
law enforcement. Throughout the state, from the Staten Island Ferry to
the Canadian border, service dogs are used for vehicle and truck checks,
check-point operations, cargo checks, interior and exterior building
sweeps, and mass-area sweeps.
Throughout the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, nearly 100 search and
rescue dogs and their brave handlers combed Ground Zero for survivors.
Alongside the FDNY and other teams sorting through the debris, these
dogs worked around the clock to locate survivors and casualties in the
rubble. The same holds true recently after Superstorm Sandy hit our
shores.
Since 1975, the New York State Police have used a highly skilled and
effective Canine Unit. Originally conceived as a way of keeping secure
the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, the unit now operates out of
Cooperstown, through the generosity of the Clark Foundation. Recogniz-
ing the importance of the K-9 Unit, philanthropist Jane Forbes Clark has
provided the unit with a training facility unlike any other in the
United States. These dogs, generously donated by Humane Societies,
private citizens, and breeders across the northeast, undergo a rigorous
training process. Currently, 66 teams of extensively trained dogs and
handlers specialize in either narcotics or bomb detection, tracking,
building searches, veterinary first aid, and land navigation
Further protecting New Yorkers, the MTA's 50-member K-9 Unit is the
nation's largest police explosive detection group, providing 24-hour
security through the agency's transportation network, with an emphasis
on the rails. Named in honor of fallen uniformed personnel, from the
police or military, more than half of the dogs used by the MTA are
trained in another discipline, such as locating missing persons, fleeing
suspects, or missing evidence. At New York's parks, farms, golf courses,
and airports, conservation and herding dogs are used to patrol the
grounds while providing a non-lethal means of managing wildlife, partic-
ularly birds and geese, in the area.
Working and service dogs can change the lives of those they come in
contact. Service and working dogs, including mobility assistance dogs
for the physically handicapped, guide dogs for the visually impaired,
and hearing dogs for the hearing impaired help people with various disa-
bilities in every day tasks.
These devoted companions provide relief, comfort, and inspiration during
times of stress. As first responders to natural and man-made disasters,
crime scene investigators, seeing-eye companions, therapists, public
safety enforcers, and search & rescue specialists, among many other
things, the service/working dog embodies the spirit of New York - hard
working, loyal, and eager to serve.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: New bill
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: None
EFFECTIVE DATE: This act shall take effect immediately
