NY State Senate Bill 2025-S391

Senate Bill S391

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Relates to a disclosure form for the surrender of a dog to a shelter, pound or dog protective association

download bill text pdf

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Agriculture Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 08, 2025	referred to agriculture

2025-S391 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A5721
Current Committee:: Senate Agriculture
Law Section:: Agriculture and Markets Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §117, Ag & Mkts L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2015-2016: A10132
2017-2018: A6173
2019-2020: A6013
2021-2022: S4606, A6805
2023-2024: S4800, A2381

2025-S391 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires a disclosure form for the surrender of a dog to a shelter, pound or dog protective association detailing the reasons for surrender and any aggressive tendencies of such dog.

2025-S391 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S391

SPONSOR: PALUMBO
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to a
disclosure form for the surrender of a dog

 
PURPOSE:

This legislation is necessary to ensure the safety of adopted animals
and owners by requiring specific information regarding a dog's personal-
ity traits and/or propensities to be provided.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

This legislation provides that when an individual who surrenders a dog
to a shelter, rescue or similar animal protective association, the
receiving agency shall have the individual fill out a form indicating
the reason or reasons for surrendering the dog, whether the dog has been
declared dangerous, whether the dog has bitten anyone or any other
information which the owner feels relevant to the future placement of

the dog. .

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Overwhelmingly, the employees of animal shelters, humane societies or
similar incorporated dog protective associations are volunteers and
offer services free of charge on a variable schedule. In light of this
transitory aspect to the staff, they may not be fully aware of all the
traits of each specific dog and as such may not be in a position to
fully inform prospective new owners of those traits which are imperative
to safely handling the dog. By filling out this short form when surren-
dering the dog, new owners would be advised by the prior owner of the
specific tendencies and personality traits for the safety of the animals
as well as themselves.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2024 S.4800/A.2381; 2022 S.4606/A.6805; 2020 A.6013; 2018: A.6173; 2016
S.10132.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have
become a law.

2025-S391 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    391
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (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  a
   disclosure form for the surrender of a dog

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 117 of the agriculture and markets law  is  amended
 by adding a new subdivision 12 to read as follows:
   12.  (A)  EVERY POUND, SHELTER, INCORPORATED HUMANE SOCIETY OR SIMILAR
 INCORPORATED DOG PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION, SHALL DEVELOP A FORM TO BE USED
 UPON THE SURRENDER OF A DOG BY ITS OWNER TO SUCH ENTITY. SUCH FORM SHALL
 REQUEST THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION FROM SUCH OWNER:
   (I) THE REASON OR REASONS FOR SURRENDERING THE DOG;
   (II) WHETHER THE DOG HAS BEEN DECLARED TO BE A DANGEROUS DOG;  WHETHER
 SUCH DOG HAS EVER EXHIBITED AGGRESSIVE TENDENCIES;
   (III) WHETHER THE DOG HAS EVER BITTEN ANY PERSON; AND
   (IV)  ANY  OTHER  INFORMATION  WITH  REGARD TO THE DOG WHICH THE OWNER
 FEELS MAY BE RELEVANT TO THE FUTURE PLACEMENT OF THE DOG.
   (B) THE POUND, SHELTER, INCORPORATED HUMANE SOCIETY OR SIMILAR  INCOR-
 PORATED DOG PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION WHICH ACCEPTS DOGS SURRENDERED BY ITS
 OWNER  TO BE SHELTERED AND ADOPTED OUT SHALL MAINTAIN THE FORM AND SHALL
 DISCLOSE IT TO ANY PROSPECTIVE ADOPTIVE OWNER OR ANY  OTHER  PERSON  WHO
 MAY  SHELTER  OR HARBOR THE DOG FOR ANY PERIOD OF TIME AFTER ITS SURREN-
 DER.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth  day  after  it  shall
 have become a law.
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD01607-01-5

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