Source: https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2019/S387
Timestamp: 2020-01-24 03:25:19
Document Index: 122263014

Matched Legal Cases: ['§353', '§353', '§  2', '§  353', '§  3', '§ 353', '§ 4', '§ 356']

NY State Senate Bill S387
senate Bill S387
Makes the failure to provide food, water or appropriate shelter to a companion animal left outside a felony
Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Domestic Animal Welfare Committee
Get Status Alerts for S387
Jan 08, 2020 referred to domestic animal welfare
Feb 11, 2019 committee discharged and committed to domestic animal welfare
S387 (ACTIVE) - Details
Senate Domestic Animal Welfare
Amd §§353, 353-b & 356, add §353-g, Ag & Mkts L
2013-2014: S6628, A8820
2015-2016: S2949, A1738
2017-2018: S841, A8089
S387 (ACTIVE) - Summary
Makes the failure to provide food, water or appropriate shelter to a companion animal (dogs and cats) left outside a felony punishable by a fine of not more than $5,000, or imprisonment for not more than 2 years, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
S387 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo
BILL NUMBER: S387
SPONSOR: TEDISCO
relation to the provision of food, water and appropriate shelter for
companion animals left outdoors
The purpose of this legislation is to increase penalties on those who
fail to provide adequate shelter to any companion animals left outdoors
in weather conditions that are likely to adversely affect the animal's
health or safety. Such acts would result in a felony conviction, up to
two years in, prison and 55,000 fine.
Section 1: Creates a new provision of the agriculture and markets law,
Section 353, as amended by chapter 523 of the laws of 2005.
Section 2: Extends the current law regarding penalties for any person
who knowingly violates the provisions of this section from being guilty
of a mere violation to a felony. Additionally, the fine of not more than
$100 is raised to $5000.00, and imprisonment for not more than two
years, or both such fine and imprisonment.
Section 3: (b) Provides in greater detail an explanation of the stand-
ards related to the companion animal's housing facilities indicating
that they be structurally sound "so as to protect the companion animal
from the inclement weather; be appropriate for the companion animal's
breed and physical condition, and the climate."  This section also calls
for the structure to "have four connected sides and a raised floor; have
a door maintained in good repair that is offset and baffled if neces-
sary, to eliminate the entry of drafts and precipitation, and also allow
the accumulation of body heat; provided, further, that damaged door
flaps shall be replaced."
(c) Calls for enclosures to be set on a solid foundation such as stone
or concrete with proper drainage, submitted in accordance with Senate
Rule VI, S 1
(d) Provides that the companion animal be provided with dry bedding
and/or solid resting boards so as to conserve its body heat.
Section 5: Connotes completion of any sentence of imprisonment imposed
for violation of this section.
Section 6: Adds a new section (S 353-g) which reads as follows; "Failure
to provide proper food and drink to a companion animal. Any person who,
having ownership, custody or control of a companion animal, refuses or
neglects to supply such animal a sufficient supply of food or water so
as to impair the health of the companion animal shall be guilty of a
felony, punishable by a fine of not more than five thousand dollars, or
imprisonment for not more than two years, or both such fine and impri-
sonment."
This section also provides for an effective date of September 1, next
succeeding enactment.
Current law does not allow for such strict guidelines for those commit-
ting these specific crimes against companion animals. With these strict
guidelines, it is expected that additional deterrents will reduce wide-
spread abuses and help foster an environment for greater caretaking of
such companion animals.
Leaving a companion animal outside in the extreme cold to live in a
barrel or out in a yard day in and day out is no way to treat man's best
friend. The punishment for leaving a dog out in the freezing cold to
potentially die should be beyond a mere slap on the wrist, pay your fine
and go back to your puppy mill to extract more blood money. It should be
criminal. This legislation seeks to modernize this anachronism in our
state's animal cruelty laws and ensure we can better protect those who
have no voice - our companion animals - from abuse and neglect.
01/06/16 S.2949 REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE
01/05/17 S.841 REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE
05/16/17 S.841 1ST REPORT CAL.932
05/17/17 S.841 2ND REPORT CAL.
05/22/17 S.841 ADVANCED TO THIRD READING
06/21/17 S.841 COMMITTED TO RULES
01/03/18 S.841 REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE
None, and strict enforcement of penalties and fines may create addi-
tional revenues for municipalities.
This act shall take effect on the first of September next succeeding the
S387 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf
Introduced by Sens. TEDISCO, BOYLE, FELDER, HELMING, KAMINSKY, O'MARA --
the Committee on Agriculture
provision of food, water and appropriate shelter for companion animals
left outdoors
Section 1. The opening paragraph of section 353 of the agriculture and
markets law, as amended by chapter 523 of the laws of 2005,  is  amended
A  person  who  overdrives,  overloads,  tortures  or cruelly beats or
unjustifiably injures, maims, mutilates or  kills  any  animal,  whether
wild  or  tame,  and  whether  belonging  to  himself  or to another, or
deprives any animal, OTHER THAN A COMPANION ANIMAL, of necessary  suste-
nance,  food  or drink, or neglects or refuses to furnish it such suste-
nance or drink, or causes, procures or permits any animal  to  be  over-
driven,  overloaded, tortured, cruelly beaten, or unjustifiably injured,
maimed, mutilated or killed, or, BEING ANY ANIMAL OTHER THAN A COMPANION
ANIMAL, to be deprived of necessary food or drink, or who wilfully  sets
on  foot,  instigates,  engages  in,  or  in any way furthers any act of
cruelty to any animal, or any act tending to produce  such  cruelty,  is
guilty  of  a  class  A misdemeanor and for purposes of paragraph (b) of
subdivision one of section 160.10 of the criminal procedure  law,  shall
be treated as a misdemeanor defined in the penal law.
§  2.    Section 353-b of the agriculture and markets law, as added by
chapter 594 of the laws of 2003, is amended to read as follows:
§  353-b.  Appropriate  shelter  for  [dogs]  COMPANION  ANIMALS  left
outdoors. 1. For purposes of this section:
LBD03622-01-9
S. 387                              2
or person with custody or control of [the dog] A COMPANION ANIMAL should
reasonably be aware.
to adversely affect the health  or  safety  of  [the  dog]  A  COMPANION
ANIMAL,  including  but  not limited to rain, sleet, ice, snow, wind, or
extreme heat and cold.
(c) "[Dogs] COMPANION ANIMALS  that  are  left  outdoors"  shall  mean
[dogs]  COMPANION ANIMALS that are outdoors in inclement weather without
ready access to, or the ability to enter, a house,  apartment  building,
office building, or any other permanent structure that complies with the
standards  enumerated  in  paragraph  (b)  of  subdivision three of this
2. (a) Any person who owns or  has  custody  or  control  of  a  [dog]
COMPANION  ANIMAL  that  is  left outdoors shall provide it with shelter
appropriate to its breed, physical condition and the climate. Any person
who knowingly violates the provisions of this section shall be guilty of
a [violation] FELONY, punishable by a  fine  of  not  [less  than  fifty
dollars  nor] more than [one hundred] FIVE THOUSAND dollars [for a first
offense, and a fine of not less than one hundred dollars nor  more  than
two  hundred  fifty  dollars  for  a second and subsequent offenses], OR
IMPRISONMENT FOR NOT MORE THAN TWO YEARS, OR BOTH SUCH FINE  AND  IMPRI-
SONMENT.    Beginning seventy-two hours after a charge of violating this
section, each day that a defendant fails to correct the deficiencies  in
the  [dog]  shelter  for a [dog] COMPANION ANIMAL that he or she owns or
that is in his or her custody or control and that is left  outdoors,  so
constitute a separate offense.
(b)  [The  court may, in its discretion, reduce the amount of any fine
imposed for a violation of this section by the amount which the  defend-
ant  proves  he or she has spent providing a dog shelter or repairing an
existing dog shelter so that it complies with the requirements  of  this
section.] Nothing in this paragraph shall prevent the seizure of a [dog]
COMPANION ANIMAL for a violation of this section pursuant to the author-
ity granted in this article.
a  [dog's]  COMPANION ANIMAL'S breed, physical condition and the climate
(a) For [dogs] COMPANION ANIMALS that are  restrained  in  any  manner
outdoors,  shade  by  natural  or  artificial means to protect the [dog]
COMPANION ANIMAL from direct sunlight at  all  times  when  exposure  to
sunlight is likely to threaten the health of the [dog] COMPANION ANIMAL.
(b)  For all [dogs] COMPANION ANIMALS that are left outdoors in incle-
ment weather, a housing facility, which  must:  (1)  have  a  waterproof
roof;  (2)  be  structurally sound [with] SO AS TO PROTECT THE COMPANION
ANIMAL FROM THE INCLEMENT WEATHER; (3) BE APPROPRIATE FOR THE  COMPANION
ANIMAL'S  BREED  AND PHYSICAL CONDITION, AND THE CLIMATE; (4) HAVE insu-
lation appropriate  to  local  climatic  conditions  and  sufficient  to
protect  the  [dog]  COMPANION  ANIMAL from inclement weather; [(3)] (5)
HAVE FOUR CONNECTED SIDES AND A RAISED FLOOR; (6) HAVE A DOOR MAINTAINED
IN GOOD REPAIR, THAT IS OFFSET AND BAFFLED, IF NECESSARY,  TO  ELIMINATE
THE  ENTRY  OF DRAFTS AND PRECIPITATION, AND ALSO ALLOW THE ACCUMULATION
OF BODY HEAT; PROVIDED,  FURTHER,  THAT  DAMAGED  DOOR  FLAPS  SHALL  BE
REPLACED;  (7)  be  constructed  to  allow  each  [dog] COMPANION ANIMAL
adequate freedom  of  movement  to  make  normal  postural  adjustments,
S. 387                              3
including  the  ability  to  stand up, turn around and lie down with its
limbs outstretched; and [(4)] (8) allow for effective removal of  excre-
tions, other waste material[;], dirt and trash. The housing facility and
the  area immediately surrounding it shall be regularly cleaned to main-
tain a healthy and sanitary environment and to minimize health hazards.
(C) FOR COMPANION ANIMALS THAT ARE RESTRAINED IN ANY  MANNER  OUTDOORS
IN AN ENCLOSURE, SUCH ENCLOSURE SHALL BE SET ON A SOLID FOUNDATION, SUCH
AS STONE OR CONCRETE, OR SOLID GROUND THAT IS WELL DRAINED.
(D) FOR COMPANION ANIMALS THAT ARE RESTRAINED IN ANY ENCLOSURE, WHETH-
ER  INDOORS  OR  OUTDOORS, THE ANIMAL SHALL BE PROVIDED WITH DRY BEDDING
AND/OR SOLID RESTING BOARDS SO AS TO CONSERVE ITS BODY HEAT,  AND  UNDER
NO  CIRCUMSTANCE  SHALL  A  COMPANION  ANIMAL BE FORCED TO LIE ON A DAMP
SURFACE OR UPON UNHEATED CONCRETE OR STONE.
4. Inadequate shelter may be indicated by the appearance of the  hous-
ing  facility  itself,  including  but  not limited to, size, structural
soundness, evidence of crowding within the housing  facility,  healthful
appearance or physical condition of the [dog] COMPANION ANIMAL.
5.  Upon a finding of any violation of this section, any [dog or dogs]
COMPANION ANIMAL OR COMPANION ANIMALS seized pursuant to the  provisions
of  this article that have not been voluntarily surrendered by the owner
or custodian or forfeited pursuant to court order shall be  returned  to
the  owner  or  custodian  only  upon  proof that appropriate shelter as
required by this section is being provided AND  THE  COMPLETION  OF  ANY
SENTENCE OF IMPRISONMENT IMPOSED FOR VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION.
protections afforded to [dogs] COMPANION ANIMALS or other animals  under
any other provisions of this article.
§  3.  The  agriculture  and  markets  law  is amended by adding a new
§ 353-G. FAILURE TO PROVIDE PROPER  FOOD  AND  DRINK  TO  A  COMPANION
ANIMAL.  ANY  PERSON  WHO,  HAVING  OWNERSHIP,  CUSTODY  OR CONTROL OF A
COMPANION ANIMAL, REFUSES OR NEGLECTS TO SUPPLY SUCH ANIMAL A SUFFICIENT
SUPPLY OF FOOD OR WATER SO AS TO IMPAIR  THE  HEALTH  OF  THE  COMPANION
ANIMAL  SHALL  BE  GUILTY  OF A FELONY, PUNISHABLE BY A FINE OF NOT MORE
THAN FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS, OR IMPRISONMENT FOR NOT MORE THAN TWO YEARS,
OR BOTH SUCH FINE AND IMPRISONMENT.
§ 4. Section 356 of the agriculture and markets  law,  as  amended  by
§ 356. Failure to provide proper food and drink to impounded animal. A
person  who,  having  impounded  or  confined  any  animal, OTHER THAN A
COMPANION ANIMAL, refuses or neglects to supply to  such  animal  during
its  confinement  a  sufficient  supply of good and wholesome air, food,
shelter and water, is guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable  by  imprison-
sand  dollars,  or  by  both.  In case any animal, INCLUDING A COMPANION
ANIMAL, shall be at any time impounded as aforesaid, and shall  continue
to  be  without necessary food and water for more than twelve successive
hours, it shall be lawful for any person, from  time  to  time,  and  as
often  as  it  shall  be  necessary, to enter into and upon any pound in
which any such animal shall be so confined, and to supply it with neces-
sary food and water, so long as it shall remain so confined; such person
shall not be liable to any action for such  entry,  and  the  reasonable
cost  of  such  food  and water may be collected by [him of] SUCH PERSON
FROM the owner of such animal, and the said animal shall not  be  exempt
from levy and sale upon execution issued upon a judgment therefor.
S. 387                              4
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