Res 0798-2019

By Council Members Brannan, Rosenthal, Holden, Koslowitz, Cumbo, Kallos, Treyger, Chin, Lander, Rivera and Ulrich Whereas, New York City ("the City") is home to over one million dogs and cats and has average animal shelter intakes exceeding 30,000 dogs and cats, annually, according to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene; and Whereas, The City has long been concerned with issues of pet overpopulation, irresponsible breeding of dogs and cats intended for sale, and their subsequent sale to unsuspecting customers; and Whereas, The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals ("ASPCA") has noted that commercial breeding facilities often keep dogs and cats in tiny, vertically-stacked cages that maximize space and prioritize profit, while creating unhygienic conditions and stress for the animals; and Whereas, The conditions of commercial breeding facilities can frequently be conducive to the spread of disease, and dogs and cats do not typically receive veterinary care in such facilities, in fact, puppies often arrive in pet stores from such commercial facilities with a range of health problems, including parasites, parvo, pneumonia, and other lasting behavioral problems that unwitting customers discover after sale; and Whereas, Commercial breeding facilities habitually subject dogs and cats to nonstop breeding, and such breeders regularly include medically compromised animals in their breeding stock, leading to physical and behavioral defects in offspring that are often not discoverable until the animal grows up; and Whereas, Dog and cat brokers, dealers, and transporters regularly transport dogs and cats across states to pet shops in New York City and no regulations exist as to the number of continuous hours animals may be trucked, or how many animals may be fit into a vehicle, or that mandate drivers of said vehicles to have animal care experience; and Whereas, The Council of the City of New York took actions in 2015 to curb pet overpopulation, and to mitigate pet shops' acquisition of animals from irresponsible breeders, through Local Law 7 of 2015 ("Spay/Neuter Law") and Local Law 5 of 2015 ("Sourcing Law"), respectively; and Whereas, More than 250 municipalities, and the States of California and Maryland have already banned the sale of commercially bred dogs and cats from pet shops, and further action is needed in New York State to strengthen protections against pet overpopulation and commercial breeding; and Whereas, A6298/S4234, introduced by Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal and Senator Michael Gianaris, respectively, would combat irresponsible breeding and encourage adoption by prohibiting the sale of dogs, cats, or rabbits by retail pet shops while allowing animal rescue organizations to showcase such dogs, cats, or rabbits at collaborating retail pet shops for the purpose of adoption; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the New York State Legislature to pass and the Governor to sign A6298/S4234, an act to amend the agriculture and markets law and the general business law, in relation to the sale of dogs, cats and rabbits. LS #5797 MT 10/31/2019 11:41 AM 1 2