NY Gov Vetoes Shelter Information Tracking Requirements

Update Sept. 1, 2010: New York Governor David Paterson vetoed this bill, A. 10715, which would have required shelters that receive state funding to keep track of and make public certain information such as animal intake and euthanasia rates.

The concern was that the requirements would impose an unfunded mandate on local governments during an economic recesssion.

For more on this bill, read Animal Law Coalition’s earlier report.   

Original report: A bill in New York that has passed the Assembly and the Senate, A. 10715 will require shelters that receive state funding to keep track of and make public the following numbers: 

(1) the  number  of  animal  intakes,  including,  but not limited to
animals that were:
     (i) surrendered by owners;
     (ii) brought in by animal control, specified by jurisdiction; and
     (iii) strays taken in by someone other than the owner;
(2) the number of animal dispositions, including, but not  limited  to
animals that:
      (i) were adopted;
      (ii) were released to owners;
      (iii) were transferred to other facilities, specified by facility; and
      (iv) died, specifying the reason for death, including, but not limited
to  natural  causes  or  euthanasia, and specifying the reason  for euthanasia.

The information must be made available to the public on the shelter’s website. The shelter must post a notice that the report is available. A copy of each report must also be available for the public to review at the shelter. Each report must be kept for at least 3 years.

The requirements of the bill should help improve shelter management, accountability and transparency, assuming the numbers are reported accurately and the reasons given for euthanasia are true.

The public as well as the rescue community have a right to have public shelters account for numbers of animals taken in, claimed by owners, adopted, transferred and euthanized.

Also, if shelters and the public track intake and euthanasia numbers, they are more likely to work to reduce them.

The bill’s primary sponsor is New York Assembly Member Amy Paulin.