2023 New York Laws › AGM - Agriculture and Markets › Article 26-C - Regulation of Animal Shelters › 420 - Definitions.

* §  420.  Definitions.  For  purposes  of this article, the following
  terms shall have the following meanings:
1. "Adoption" means the transfer of legal ownership to and  possession
  by  any  natural  person eighteen years of age or older, for the limited
  purpose of harboring a pet, of any dog  or  cat,  owned  by  the  animal
  shelter regardless of whether a fee is involved.
2.  "Adult" shall mean cats and dogs five months of age and older, for
  the  purposes  of  determining  appropriate  housing  within  an  animal
  shelter.
3.  "Animal"  shall  mean a dog or cat as defined in this section, but
  shall not be construed to diminish or restrict the mission of any animal
  shelter defined in  this  section  or  other  entity  duly  incorporated
  pursuant  to  section  fourteen  hundred  three  of  the  not-for-profit
  corporation law solely to the care of dogs or cats.
4. "Air handling system" shall mean the device or  equipment  used  to
  regulate,  circulate,  exchange,  heat,  and/or  cool  the  air inside a
  building.
5. "Ambient temperature" shall mean the temperature of the environment
  inside a room or building.
6. "Animal shelter" shall  mean  a  public  or  not-for-profit  entity
  owning,  operating,  or  otherwise maintaining a building, structure, or
  facility where temporary or permanent housing and care  is  provided  to
  stray,   abandoned,  abused,  seized,  impounded,  owner-surrendered  or
  otherwise unwanted animals regardless of whether or  not  such  facility
  also  serves  as  a personal residence. This includes but is not limited
  to: facilities owned, operated, or maintained  by  a  duly  incorporated
  society  for  the  prevention  of  cruelty to animals, duly incorporated
  humane society dog or cat protective association, or pound;  any  person
  in  the  employ  of,  or organization operated by or under contract to a
  municipality to provide care for seized or  impounded  animals;  or  any
  other  not-for-profit  organization involved in the protection, care, or
  rehoming of animals.   Unless otherwise provided in  this  article,  the
  term  "animal  shelter"  shall not include the personal residence of any
  foster care provider as defined in this  section;  a  facility  commonly
  known  as  a  boarding  kennel, where the ownership of the animal is not
  transferred; any entity licensed as a pet  dealer  pursuant  to  article
  twenty-six-A  of  this  chapter;  any  duly incorporated animal hospital
  owned, operated or supervised by a duly licensed  veterinarian;  or  any
  facility  where  the owner or operator is licensed by the New York state
  department of environmental conservation as a nuisance wildlife  control
  agent or wildlife rehabilitator.
7. "Aseptic" shall mean procedures or techniques performed in a manner
  sufficient    to   exclude   harmful   bacteria,   viruses,   or   other
  microorganisms.
8.  "Behavioral  evaluation"  shall  mean   an   ordered   series   of
  interactions  with  an  animal to determine their behavioral response to
  various stimuli likely to be encountered in a typical home environment.
9. "Cat" shall mean any member of the species Felis catus,  regardless
  of age, sex, breed, ownership status or behavior around humans.
10.  "Chemical capture" shall mean the use of drugs administered to an
  animal by a remote delivery system in order to  immobilize  it  for  the
  purposes of capture.
11.  "Cleaning"  shall mean the physical removal of debris and organic
  material from an environment.
12. "Conspecific" shall mean another member of the same species.
13. "Control pole" shall mean a restraint device consisting of a rigid
  metal pole with an adjustable wire noose used for handling and restraint
  of dogs, also commonly referred to as a catch pole or rabies pole.
14. "Death", for the purposes of  describing  the  disposition  of  an
  animal,  shall  mean  those  animals  who  die  but  are not euthanized,
  regardless of cause.
15.  "Disinfection"  shall  mean  the process where microorganisms are
  killed or inactivated, typically through the application of  a  chemical
  or by some physical process (e.g. steam, heat, etc).
16. "Dog" shall mean any member of the species Canis lupis familiaris,
  regardless  of  age,  sex,  breed,  ownership status, or behavior around
  humans.
17. "Drop boxes" shall mean unattended enclosures at an animal shelter
  that are accessible to the public and used to contain animals brought to
  the animal shelter outside of regular business hours.
18. "Enclosure" shall be defined as an area of  confinement  used  for
  housing  a  single  animal  or  group  of  animals  housed  together. An
  enclosure may be a cage, run, kennel,  room,  or  other  such  confining
  area.
19. "Enriched" shall mean environment that reduces stress and promotes
  the physical health and behavioral well-being of an animal.
20.  "Enrichment"  shall  mean a process for improving the environment
  and behavioral care of confined animals in order to  reduce  stress  and
  improve  well-being.  Enrichment  shall  include, but not be limited to,
  providing physical and mental stimulation,  encouraging  species-typical
  behaviors, and modifying the animal's housing environment.
21.  "Foster  care  provider"  shall  mean  any individual voluntarily
  providing temporary care for one or more  animals  in  their  home  that
  remain in the custody and under the responsibility of an animal shelter.
22.  "Infectious  disease" shall mean a disease or condition caused by
  bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites that can be transmitted,  directly
  or indirectly, from one animal or individual to another.
23.  "Intracardiac"  shall mean an injection made directly into one of
  the chambers of the heart.
24. "Intrahepatic" shall mean an injection made into the liver.
25. "Intrarenal" shall mean an injection made into the kidney.
26. "Intrasplenic" shall mean an injection made into the spleen.
27. "Juvenile" shall mean any cat or dog between two and  five  months
  of  age  for  the  purposes of determining appropriate housing within an
  animal shelter.
28. "Loss" for the  purposes  of  describing  the  disposition  of  an
  animal,  shall  mean those animals who escape or go missing while in the
  care of an animal shelter.
29. "Long-term stay" shall mean any duration  of  care  in  an  animal
  shelter of fourteen days or longer.
30.  "Neonate"  shall mean any cat or dog less than two months of age,
  for the purposes of determining appropriate  housing  within  an  animal
  shelter.
31.  "Pathogen"  shall  mean  a  biologic  organism capable of causing
  disease in an animal, such as a bacteria, virus, or fungus.
32. "Primary enclosure" shall mean the area of  confinement  used  for
  housing  an  animal and where the animal spends the majority of its time
  in an animal shelter.
33. "Thermoregulation" shall mean the ability of an animal to maintain
  its internal body temperature within a normal physiologic range.
34. "Transport" shall mean the physical movement of an animal from one
  location to another, regardless of purpose and whether or not custody or
  responsibility for such animal changes as a result, when carried out  by
  the shelter or an agent thereof.
35.  "Transfer"  shall  mean  the  transfer  of ownership and physical
  custody of an animal for an animal's care and well-being from an  animal

  shelter  to  another  organization as authorized pursuant to subdivision
  five of section three hundred seventy-four of this chapter.
36.  "Unenveloped  virus"  shall  mean  those viruses without an outer
  lipid layer that are more difficult  to  inactivate  through  sanitation
  procedures.   Unenveloped  viruses  of  concern  in  an  animal  shelter
  environment include canine and feline parvoviruses, feline  calicivirus,
  and canine adenovirus-2.
37.  "Zoonotic" shall mean any disease that may be transmitted between
  humans and animals.
* NB Effective December 15, 2025