STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
796
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY(Prefiled)
January 8, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. ROSENTHAL -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Agriculture
AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to prohib-
iting the declawing and descenting of ferrets
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The agriculture and markets law is amended by adding a new
2 section 387 to read as follows:
3 § 387. Prohibition of the declawing and descenting of ferrets. 1. For
4 the purposes of this section, the following terms shall have the follow-
5 ing meanings:
6 (a) "Ferret" shall mean the domestic species Mustela furo.
7 (b) "Declawing" shall mean a procedure, such as an onychectomy, tendo-
8 nectomy or phalangectomy, to remove or prevent the normal function of
9 the claws of a ferret.
10 (c) "Descenting" shall mean a procedure involving the surgical removal
11 or destruction of the anal glands of a ferret.
12 (d) "Therapeutic purpose" shall mean the necessity to address the
13 physical medical condition of a ferret, such as an existing or recurring
14 illness, infection, disease, injury or abnormal condition in the claw or
15 anal glands that compromises such ferret's health. Therapeutic purpose
16 shall not include cosmetic or aesthetic reasons or reasons of conven-
17 ience in keeping or handling such ferret.
18 2. No person shall perform a declawing or a descenting procedure by
19 any means on a ferret within the state of New York, except when neces-
20 sary for a therapeutic purpose and performed by a licensed veterinarian.
21 3. Any person who performs a declawing or descenting procedure on any
22 ferret in the state of New York in violation of the provisions of subdi-
23 vision two of this section shall be punishable by a civil penalty not to
24 exceed one thousand dollars.
25 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02680-01-5
