Requires animal shelters to annually report on intake and disposition of animals and the number of animals turned away by such shelters; requires shelters to submit such reports to the department of agriculture and markets; requires such department to post the reports on their website.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A6357
SPONSOR: Weprin (MS) TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to requir-
ing animal shelters to prepare annual reports
PURPOSE:
To promote better care of animals placed in shelters by requiring great-
er transparency on the part of state funded animal shelters with regard
to both the intake and disposition of animals.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one amends the agriculture and markets law by adding a new
section 374-a which provides that any animal shelter that receives state
funding shall prepare an annual report by January first of each year.
Such annual report shall include the number of animal intakes, includ-
ing, but not limited to animals that were surrendered by owners; were
brought in by animal control, specifying from which jurisdiction; and
were brought in as strays by someone other than the animal's owner. The
report shall also include the number of animal dispositions, including,
but not limited to animals that were adopted; were released to owners,
or were transferred to other facilities, specifying the facility. The
report shall include the number of animals that have died, specifying
the reason for death, including deaths by euthanasia and the reasons for
such euthanasia deaths. Each shelter that maintains a website, shall
post a notice on its website stating that its report is available to be
viewed by the public, and shall maintain each annual report for three
years. Each animal shelter shall maintain at least one printed copy of
their annual report to be viewed by the Public on site upon request.
Section two provides the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
As with most organizations that receive public funding, animal shelters
that receive state funding are accountable to the public.
The number of animals that are cared for by each shelter and the source
of the animals are of interest to the public. The disposition of such
animals is of equal interest, and an important indicator of the quality
of and commitment to the rescue and care of animals. By requiring shel-
ters that receive state funding to reveal certain specified information
in the form of an annual report, this legislation will promote transpar-
ency and accountability, which in turn may lead to improved animal care
and more favorable dispositions. The financial burden to the shelters is
minimal when balanced against the potential for great gains in the qual-
ity of shelter practices.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
Minimal cast to state funded animal shelters to produce annual reports.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
02/06/17 referred to agriculture
01/03/18 referred to agriculture
EFFECTIVE DATE:
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, 2020.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
6357
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
April 5, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. WEPRIN, COLTON -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A.
GLICK, McDONOUGH, SIMON -- read once and referred to the Committee on
Agriculture
AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to requir-
ing animal shelters to prepare annual reports
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 374-a to read as follows:
3 § 374-a. Animal shelter annual reports. 1. Any animal shelter shall,
4 by March first of each year, prepare an annual report disclosing:
5 (a) the number of animal intakes, including, but not limited to
6 animals that were:
7 (i) surrendered by owners;
8 (ii) brought in by animal control, specified by jurisdiction; and
9 (iii) strays taken in by someone other than the owner;
10 (b) the number of animal dispositions, including, but not limited to
11 animals that:
12 (i) were adopted;
13 (ii) were released to owners;
14 (iii) were transferred to other facilities, specified by facility; and
15 (iv) died, specifying the reason for death, including, but not limited
16 to natural causes or euthanasia, and specifying the reason for such
17 euthanasia; and
18 (c) the number of animals that have been turned away from the shelter,
19 and the reason such animals were turned away.
20 2. Each animal shelter shall send such report to the department elec-
21 tronically, and such department shall publish such reports on its
22 website.
23 3. Each animal shelter shall maintain at least one printed copy of
24 such annual report to be viewed by the public on site upon request.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10615-01-3
A. 6357 2
1 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, that
2 animal shelters subject to this act shall have completed their first
3 annual report no later than January 1, 2028.
