STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
5532--B
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
May 6, 2019
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Introduced by Sens. GIANARIS, RIVERA -- read twice and ordered printed,
and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Domestic Animal
Welfare -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as
amended and recommitted to said committee -- committee discharged,
bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said
committee
AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to prohib-
iting the declawing of cats
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The agriculture and markets law is amended by adding a new
2 section 381 to read as follows:
3 § 381. Prohibition of the declawing of cats. 1. No person shall
4 perform an onychectomy (declawing), partial or complete phalangectomy or
5 tendonectomy procedure by any means on a cat within the state of New
6 York, except when necessary for a therapeutic purpose. Therapeutic
7 purpose means the necessity to address the physical medical condition of
8 the cat, such as an existing or recurring illness, infection, disease,
9 injury or abnormal condition in the claw that compromises the cat's
10 health. Therapeutic purpose does not include cosmetic or aesthetic
11 reasons or reasons of convenience in keeping or handling the cat.
12 2. Any person who performs an onychectomy, partial or complete phalan-
13 gectomy or tendonectomy procedure on any cat within the state of New
14 York in violation of the provisions of subdivision one of this section
15 shall be punishable by a civil penalty not to exceed one thousand
16 dollars.
17 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06056-04-9
