Albany: Ag & Mkts hosts “Pet Dealer Focus Group” meetings On Wednesday, Oct. 21 the first in a projected series of meetings took place in Albany under the auspices of the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets. DFNY was invited to attend, and following are highlights of the 2 hour meeting.
Also present were representatives from NY Houndsmen,
Assoc. Dog Clubs of NY, ASPCA, NYS Humane Assoc., Mohawk Hudson Humane Society, PIJAC, NY Farm Bureau, NY Masters of Fox Hounds, HSUS, and the NYS Vet. Medicine Assoc. Dog-friendl y, dog- safe communities for all New Yorkers Background information threaten health and safety, and give pet dealers The meeting began with a review of the current pet five days to correct them. dealer regulations, which went into effect in 2000. The Department noted that at the time the pet dealer program Pet dealers are then re-inspected after 30 (or five) was enacted, $7 - 800,000 was the estimated cost for days to make sure that the problems have been administering the program, but that in reality the program addressed. receives $2 - 300,000 annually for enforcement. Ag & Mkts’ primary concern The $100/year that each pet dealer pays in licensing fees . is no where near adequate to fund the program, yet Gov. The Department's biggest issue is that it is difficult Paterson wants the program to be self-sufficient. to document the number of animals an individual sells or offers for sale. Current NYS law defines Ag & Mkts spokespeople explained that the program “pet dealers” by the number of animals they sell or employs 20 inspectors. They are licensed veterinary offer for sale and Ag and Mkts monitors websites technicians supervised by veterinarians working for Ag & and publications for advertisements. Mkts. The inspectors are assigned regionally throughout NY, inspections are done upon application for a pet Because people selling puppies no longer dealer license, and annually thereafter. "Special advertise a specific number of dogs for sale, the inspections" are done on complaint. Department believes that individuals and enterprises that should be licensed and regulated For 2009 YTD there have been 360 inspections. Of as pet dealers are falling through the cracks. these, 85 were triggered by complaints, 154 were re- inspections and 43 were new applicants. Additional concerns, proposed remedies DogFederationofNew York.org Inspectors note "general deficiencies" which are not life- threatening (generally, sanitation issues), and give the pet dealer 30 days to correct the problem. Inspectors P O Box 547, Rhinebeck, NY 12572 also note "critical deficiencies" which DogFedNY@aol.com OCTOBER 2009 PAGE 2
Dog Federation of New York
As a remedy, the Department would like all pet (continues from page one) dealers to be required to authorize their vets to Ag and Mkt spokespeople then described release veterinary records on all animals for several additional concerns within the sale so that the Department can verify that a Department: specific animal is under a vet's care and receiving appropriate treatment. Sick animals may be treated without veterinary supervision Lack of socialization and exercise
Current regulations require that dogs' primary
Currently, if a sick or injured dog is identified enclosure allow the animals to fully extend limbs during inspection, the pet dealer is required to obtain veterinary care for the animal. The and turn around. The Department wants the Department finds, however, that upon re- minimum amount of space provided to each dog inspection the pet dealer may provide (for doubled -- so that crates would need to be twice example) a bottle of antibiotics as evidence of as long as the dog measures (nose to tail). appropriate care for the injured/sick animal, but they are not required to document that the Need for “stop sale orders” animal actually saw a vet or that the antibiotic was prescribed by a vet for that particular illness License revocation is a lengthy process and in or injury. the meantime a pet dealer may continue to sell animals. The Department wants to be able to stop sales of pets pending license revocation proceedings.
Changes to "pet dealer" definition
Because Ag & Mkts finds it difficult to determine the
number of dogs sold or offered for sale, the Department wants the number of breeding (intact) females to determine whether an individual or enterprise qualifies as a pet dealer.
Using the USDA guidelines as a model, the
Department proposes more than 3 intact females, or selling or offering for sale more than 13 dogs annually, as a threshold.
Additional comment
Puppies! What would the world be without them? Ag & Mkts identifies dog licensing data -- including "purebred” license records -- as a tool to identify the owners of intact dogs. DFNY believes that it is inappropriate and counterproductive to require home, hobby, and sports dog breeders to comply with regulations modeled on USDA commercial licensing DogFederationofNew York.org standards. P O Box 547, Rhinebeck, NY 12572 DogFedNY@aol.com OCTOBER 2009 PAGE 3
Dog Federation of New York
Dog Federation of NY expresses deep Additionally, under the Paulin/Oppenheimer proposal pet dealers are required to authorize the concern blanket release of all veterinary records for all animals in their care to the Department or its Inappropriate standards authorized agents as well as comply with a host of new requirements and regulations. While DFNY wholeheartedly supports and commends Keeping New York dog-friendly and dog-safe the NYS Department of Agriculture and Market’s commitment to the health and welfare of animals, and We believe that locally bred, locally raised dogs are appreciates the opportunity to discuss these items with an excellent choice for New Yorkers who would like Department spokespeople, we believe that it is to acquire a pet or working companion, and we are inappropriate and counterproductive to require home, deeply concerned by legislation that curtails or hobby, and sports dog breeders to comply with prohibits lawful, humane breeding and animal regulations modeled on USDA commercial license husbandry practices. standards. DFNY looks forward to collaborating with the NYS For example, guidelines for pet dealer standards of care Department of Agriculture and Markets and other now circulated by Ag and Mkts require animals to be caring, responsible dog owners to find workable, housed in “primary enclosures or cages.” The “primary reasonable solutions to the concerns we all share. enclosure” surfaces—presumably the floors, ceilings and walls of a room or rooms if a dog is living in a home Help DFNY help you as a family member—must be “impervious.” Guidelines require surfaces that are “non-porous, durable and The Dog Federation of New York welcomes easy to maintain. . .Surfaces must withstand scrubbing individual dog owners and dog-related clubs and with detergents and disinfectants. . .[and] withstand the organizations. A New York State not-for-profit, we impact of water under pressure, if necessary.” are the only organization focused on laws and legal issues impacting responsible New York dog owners, and we advocate for strong, humane legislation. Clearly, these guidelines and underlying law were not written for raising dogs in a home environment. Visit our website, download an application, and join us today! Current legislation
Ag and Mkts advises that no legislative
proposal has yet been drafted in response to their concerns, yet DFNY identifies components of several existing bills now before the state legislature that are consistent with the Department’s recommendations.
For example, under proposed NY A7983/S4961
(Paulin/Oppenheimer) pet dealers include anyone with custody of more than four intact female dogs over the age of six months.
