Senator Jim Tedisco has introduced new legislation intended to improve the regulation of pet boarding facilities in New York State. The proposed “NYS Safe Pet Boarding Act” aims to address recent incidents involving animal deaths and cruelty at doggy day cares and boarding locations, including the deaths of 21 dogs at a facility in Argyle and the killing of a French Bulldog named Gus in Halfmoon.
Currently, oversight of pet boarding facilities is managed by local governments. Tedisco’s bill would shift responsibility to the state by establishing licensing requirements for all commercial boarding operations. It also calls for random inspections by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. Other provisions include standards for space, ventilation, temperature control with backup procedures, limits on how long pets can be left unattended (with remote video monitoring when staff are not present), nutrition requirements, maintenance of vaccination records, public access to annual report cards on licensed facilities, and minimum training standards for employees.
Violations under this act could result in loss of license and criminal penalties up to a Class A misdemeanor, carrying a potential one-year jail sentence and $1,000 fine.
“The deaths of the 21 dogs in Argyle and Gus the French Bulldog in Halfmoon is absolutely heartbreaking and should never have happened. Families deserve the peace of mind that when they leave their beloved pets at a doggy day care or boarding facility, they will be cared for like the loving family members they are and not left to suffer and die,” said Senator Jim Tedisco.
“What we have right now in New York State is the ‘Wild West’ of animal care laws and that’s led to one terrible tragedy after another. Enough is enough! I am sponsoring the NYS Safe Pet Boarding Act to bring some order and common sense to our animal care laws by ensuring minimum standards of care and state licensing and oversight of these facilities so we can root out any bad actors and allow the many good ones to flourish,” said Senator Tedisco.
In addition to this bill, Tedisco is sponsoring bipartisan measures that include creating a statewide registry listing those convicted of animal abuse (S.1563), requiring psychiatric evaluations for abusers with lifetime bans on companion animal ownership (S.1044), increasing penalties under “Buster’s Law” (S.1205), as well as making it an additional felony—known as “Kirby & Quiqley’s Law”—for harming animals during other crimes (S.470).
Tedisco previously led efforts behind “Buster’s Law,” which made aggravated cruelty to animals a felony offense punishable by up to two years imprisonment and a $5,000 fine.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation classifies animal cruelty as a serious crime category due to its correlation with other offenses.
“As I often remind people about, having and working with a companion animal is not a right, it’s a privilege, but our pets and people have a right to be safe from abuse and neglect. We have an obligation as a government to protect all members of our family, including those who have no voice,” said Senator Tedisco.
