2023 New York Laws › AGM - Agriculture and Markets › Article 7 - Licensing, Identification and Control of Dogs › 108 - Definitions.

§ 108. Definitions.   As   used  in  this  article,  unless  otherwise
expressly stated or  unless  the  context  or  subject  matter  requires
otherwise:
1.  "Adoption" means the delivery to any natural person eighteen years
of age or older, for the limited purpose of harboring a pet, of any dog,
seized or surrendered, or any cat.
3. "Clerk" means the clerk of any county, town, city or village  where
licenses are validated or issued pursuant to this article.
4.  "Commissioner"  means  the  state  commissioner of agriculture and
markets.
5. "Dog" means any member of the species canis familiaris.
6.  "Dog  control  officer"  means  any  individual  appointed  by   a
municipality  to  assist  in  the  enforcement  of  this  article or any
authorized officer, agent or employee of an incorporated humane  society
or similar incorporated dog protective association under contract with a
municipality to assist in the enforcement of this article.
7.  "Domestic  animal"  means  any  domesticated sheep, horse, cattle,
fallow deer, red deer, sika deer, whitetail deer which is  raised  under
license  from the department of environmental conservation, llama, goat,
swine, fowl, duck,  goose,  swan,  turkey,  confined  domestic  hare  or
rabbit,  pheasant  or  other  bird  which is raised in confinement under
license from the state department of environmental  conservation  before
release  from captivity, except that the varieties of fowl commonly used
for cock fights  shall  not  be  considered  domestic  animals  for  the
purposes of this article.
8. "Euthanize" means to bring about death by a humane method.
9.  "Guide  dog"  means any dog that is trained to aid a person who is
blind and is actually used for such  purpose,  or  any  dog  during  the
period such dog is being trained or bred for such purpose.
10. "Harbor" means to provide food or shelter to any dog.
11.   "Identification  tag"  means  a  tag  issued  by  the  licensing
municipality which sets forth an identification  number,  together  with
the   name   of  the  municipality,  the  state  of  New  York,  contact
information, including telephone number, for the municipality  and  such
other information as the licensing municipality deems appropriate.
12.  "Identified  dog" means any dog carrying an identification tag as
provided in section one hundred eleven of this article.
13. "Municipality" means any county, town, city and village.
15. "Owner" means any person who harbors or keeps any dog.
16. "Owner of record" means the person in whose name any dog was  last
licensed  pursuant to this article, except that if any license is issued
on application of a person under eighteen years of  age,  the  owner  of
record  shall  be deemed to be the parent or guardian of such person. If
it cannot be determined in whose name any dog was last  licensed  or  if
the  owner of record has filed a statement pursuant to the provisions of
section one hundred twelve of this article, the owner shall be deemed to
be the owner of record of such dog, except that if the  owner  is  under
eighteen  years  of  age,  the owner of record shall be deemed to be the
parent or guardian of such person.
17.  "Person"  means   any   individual,   corporation,   partnership,
association  or other organized group of persons, municipality, or other
legal entity.
18. "Police work dog" means any dog owned or harbored by any state  or
municipal  police  department  or  any  state or federal law enforcement
agency, which has been trained to aid law enforcement  officers  and  is
actually being used for police work purposes.
19.  "Recognized  registry association" means any registry association
that operates on a nationwide basis  and  issues  numbered  registration
certificates.
20.  "War  dog" means any dog which has been honorably discharged from
the United States armed services.
21. "Hearing dog" means any dog that is trained to aid a person who is
deaf or hard of hearing and is actually used for such  purpose,  or  any
dog  during  the  period  such  dog  is  being  trained or bred for such
purpose.
22. "Service dog" means any dog that has been or is being individually
trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a person  with  a
disability.
23.  "Person  with a disability" means any person with a disability as
that term is defined in subdivision twenty-one of  section  two  hundred
ninety-two of the executive law.
24.  (a) "Dangerous dog" means any dog which (i) without justification
attacks a person, companion animal as defined  in  subdivision  five  of
section  three  hundred fifty of this chapter, farm animal as defined in
subdivision four of section three  hundred  fifty  of  this  chapter  or
domestic  animal  as  defined  in  subdivision seven of this section and
causes physical injury or death, or (ii) behaves in  a  manner  which  a
reasonable person would believe poses a serious and unjustified imminent
threat  of  serious  physical  injury  or  death to one or more persons,
companion animals, farm animals or domestic  animals  or  (iii)  without
justification attacks a service dog, guide dog or hearing dog and causes
physical injury or death.
(b)  "Dangerous dog" does not include a police work dog, as defined in
subdivision eighteen of this section, which acts in the manner described
in this paragraph while such police work dog is being used to assist one
or more law enforcement officers in the performance  of  their  official
duties.
25.  "Working  search dog" means any dog that is trained to aid in the
search for missing persons and is actually used for such purpose.
26. "Therapy dog" means any dog that is trained to aid  the  emotional
and  physical health of patients in hospitals, nursing homes, retirement
homes and other settings and is actually used for such purpose,  or  any
dog  during  the  period  such  dog  is  being  trained or bred for such
purpose, and does not qualify under federal or state law or  regulations
as a service dog.
27. "Detection dog" means any dog that is trained and is actually used
for  such  purposes or is undergoing training to be used for the purpose
of  detecting  controlled  substances,  explosives,  ignitable  liquids,
firearms, cadavers, or school or correctional facility contraband.
28.  "Physical  injury"  means  impairment  of  physical  condition or
substantial pain.
29. "Serious physical injury" means physical injury  which  creates  a
substantial  risk  of  death,  or  which  causes  death  or  serious  or
protracted disfigurement, protracted impairment of health or  protracted
loss or impairment of the function of any bodily organ.