Bill > A01698

This bill amends the New York agriculture and markets law by creating a new requirement for municipal employees who recover the body of a deceased dog or cat on public roads. Specifically, when municipal workers come across an animal that has been killed on a public roadway during the course of their normal job duties, they will now be legally obligated to make a reasonable effort to identify the animal's owner. This identification process involves looking for ownership indicators such as tags, license numbers, or other identifiers on or near the animal's body. Once potential ownership information is discovered, the municipal employee must also make a reasonable attempt to notify the animal's owner or contact an animal management service about the animal's death. The law will go into effect 180 days after it is signed, giving municipalities time to prepare for and implement these new notification procedures. The bill aims to provide more respectful and communicative handling of deceased pets found on public roads, potentially offering closure to pet owners who may not know what happened to their missing animal.

Agriculture and Natural Resources, Housing and Urban Affairs

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A1698