N.Y. Agriculture & Markets Law § 429: Veterinary care

§ 429. Veterinary care. 1. Prescription medications and treatments

shall be administered by each animal shelter under the advisement of or

in accordance with written protocols provided by a duly licensed

veterinarian.

2. All drugs shall be documented and dispensed by each animal shelter

in accordance with applicable local, state, and federal laws and

regulations.

3. All incoming animals shall be assessed within two hours after

intake by a trained animal shelter staff member to determine if any

physical abnormalities exist that require immediate veterinary attention

in accordance with the shelter's written protocol for emergency care, as

required by section four hundred twenty-three of this article.

4. Each animal shelter shall have the ability to provide for

veterinary assessment and humane care in a timely fashion through

in-house facilities or at an off-site location.

5. Pursuant to the written protocol for emergency veterinary care

required by section four hundred twenty-three of this article, each

animal shelter shall provide appropriate and timely veterinary care for

any animal that is in distress, experiencing pain, or showing signs of

significant illness or injury.

6. Each animal shelter shall recognize and treat acute and chronic

pain appropriately, as set forth in article twenty-six of this chapter.

The legal status regarding the ownership of any animal shall not prevent

treatment to relieve suffering.

7. Each animal shelter shall provide a complete physical examination

of all animals in its custody or possession by trained shelter staff

within twenty-four hours of intake to identify medical or behavioral

conditions that require further evaluation and care. Animals shall

specifically be examined for bite wounds; animals that have potentially

been exposed to rabies shall be managed in accordance with applicable

local and state laws. Each animal shelter shall comply with the rabies

reporting requirements prescribed in 10 NYCRR 2.14.

8. Each animal shelter shall vaccinate each animal in its custody or

possession with core vaccines as recommended by national standards and

guidelines specific to animal shelters as established, endorsed or

approved by the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP),

American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), or the Association of

Shelter Veterinarians (ASV).

9. Each animal shelter shall provide all dogs, cats, and ferrets in

its custody or possession with a rabies vaccination prior to release in

accordance with local public health laws. Each animal shelter shall be

in compliance at all times with section one hundred nine of this chapter

and title four of article twenty-one of the public health law.

10. At a minimum, each animal shelter shall treat all animals in its

custody or possession for hookworms and roundworms prior to release

and/or placement in foster care.

11. When a physical or behavioral abnormality is identified at the

time of intake or at any time during any animal's shelter stay, staff

members shall follow written medical protocols required by section four

hundred twenty-three of this article, to determine if and when any

animal in its custody or possession needs to be examined by a duly

licensed veterinarian. If the animal is in foster care, the foster care

provider shall follow written medical protocols to determine whether the

animal needs to be examined by a duly licensed veterinarian.

12. Any animal in the custody or possession of any animal shelter for

more than thirty days shall be examined and weighed at least monthly by

a trained staff member. Animals in foster care shall be examined and

weighed at least once every six months by a trained staff member.

13. Any apparently healthy animal remaining within the custody or

possession of any animal shelter shall be examined by a duly licensed

veterinarian at least every six months, or more frequently if problems

are identified.

14. Each animal shelter shall provide regular grooming to prevent

discomfort or injury to each animal in its custody or possession.

Matted, soiled, or otherwise unkempt animals shall be provided with

timely grooming to alleviate discomfort and prevent injury within

forty-eight hours of intake or identification of condition. Severe

matting that prevents normal movement, an animal's ability to eat,

drink, urinate, or defecate, or that compromises tissue health shall be

treated as a medical emergency requiring immediate care.

15. (a) No animal shelter shall release any dog or cat for adoption to

any person unless the dog or cat has been spayed or neutered, in

accordance with section three hundred seventy-seven-a of this chapter.

(b) Prior to performing spay/neuter surgery at any animal shelter:

(i) All animals in such shelter's custody or possession shall receive

an examination by a duly licensed veterinarian within twenty-four hours

of surgery and anesthesia. Such examination may be performed under

sedation or anesthesia if, due to the animal's behavior, an examination

is not possible while awake.

(ii) Balanced anesthetic protocols that include sedation, the

provision of pre- and post-operative analgesia, stress reduction, muscle

relaxation and controlled, reversible loss of consciousness shall be

utilized for all animals.

(iii) While surgery is being performed, the operating area shall be

dedicated to surgery and contain the necessary equipment for anesthesia

and patient monitoring.

(iv) Aseptic surgical technique shall be required, and separate

sterile instruments shall be used for each patient. All instruments and

equipment shall be maintained in proper working condition.

(v) A permanent tattoo shall be placed on the ventral abdomen of

shelter-owned cats and dogs at the time of spay or neuter.

(vi) Each animal shelter shall provide adoptive owners instructions in

both written and verbal forms for ten-day post-operative care of

recently spayed or neutered animals.

(c) Written protocols required by section four hundred twenty-three of

this chapter, shall be followed to handle related post-operative

emergencies.