N.Y. Agriculture & Markets Law § 432: Foster care provider requirements

§ 432. Foster care provider requirements. 1. No person may operate as

a foster care provider in this state without first having signed a

written agreement with an animal shelter licensed pursuant to this

article stating that such person may operate as a foster care provider

with the approval and under the responsibility of such animal shelter.

Such agreement shall be renewed not less than once every two years, and

a copy of such agreement shall be kept by both the animal shelter and

foster care provider and made available for inspection by the

commissioner upon request. It shall be the responsibility of the animal

shelter entering into such agreement with any foster care provider

pursuant to this article to ensure that such foster care provider is

able to responsibly harbor and provide necessary sustenance for any

animal placed in their care by such animal shelter in a manner that

promotes the good health, safety and welfare of such animals. No animal

shelter shall knowingly enter into any agreement pursuant to this

subdivision with any person who has been previously convicted of a

violation of any provision of article twenty-six of this chapter or

regulations promulgated thereunder pertaining to humane treatment of

animals, cruelty to animals, endangering the life or health of an

animal, or violation of any federal, state, or local law pertaining to

the care, treatment, sale, possession, or handling of animals or any

regulation or rule relating to the endangerment of the life or health of

an animal.

2. Foster care providers may harbor animals owned by a licensed animal

shelter but shall not own such animals and shall keep a copy of the

current record of each animal harbored under any agreement established

pursuant to subdivision one of this section. Such record shall be

maintained at the physical premises where such foster care providers

harbor such animals. Animal shelters may, if appropriate to protect the

identity of the source of any animal, provide their foster care

providers with a partial animal record that excludes the name and

address of the organization or individual from whom such animal was

obtained and the date of receipt, so long as such animal shelters keep a

copy of the complete record at the location where it maintains such

records pursuant to section four hundred twenty-three of this article.

It is the responsibility of the animal shelter with which such foster

care provider has established an agreement pursuant to subdivision one

of this section to ensure compliance with this subdivision.

3. Any animal harbored by a foster care provider pursuant to this

section that is affected by an infectious or contagious disease shall be

handled in a manner that prevents the spread of such disease in

accordance with subdivision nine of section four hundred twenty-four of

this article. It shall be the responsibility of the animal shelter with

which such foster care provider has established an agreement pursuant to

subdivision one of this section to ensure compliance with this

subdivision.