New York State Will Mandate Veterinarians to Report Suspected Animal Abuse; Breed Discrimination by Insurers Will Be Prohibited

New York State Will Mandate Veterinarians to Report Suspected Animal Abuse; Breed Discrimination by Insurers Will Be Prohibited

June 11, 2021
By: SPCA Chief Communications Officer Gina Lattuca

The New York State Animal Protection Federation (NYSAPF) has released two exciting pieces of news this week.

With the help of New York State Senator Michael Gianaris and New York State Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal, veterinarians in the state will soon be mandated to report suspected animal abuse and cruelty to the appropriate incorporated SPCA (such as the SPCA Serving Erie County for cases in Erie County), district attorney’s office, police force, animal control officer, NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets, or other law enforcement agency. Necessary records must be turned over to the agency. Veterinarians’ identities will be protected. (A.5823/S.5023)

Last night, the NYSAPF released a statement on its website thanking Senator Gianaris and  Assemblymember Rosenthal for making this happen, and thanked member shelters for their advocacy work.

Assemblymember Rosenthal states on her official Facebook page,
“🐾VICTORY! 🐾 My bill with Senator Michael Gianaris requiring veterinarians to report animal abuse has passed the Assembly and now goes to the Governor! Vets play a critical role in identifying animal abuse and this law will help protect pets and humans from harm.”

Secondly, representatives of the NYSAPF say that, soon,  insurance companies will  no longer be allowed to discriminate against homeowners based on the breed of their dog(s). A.4075/S.4254 prohibits insurers from “…refusing to issue or renew, cancel, or charge or impose an increased premium for certain policies based solely on the breed of dog owned.”

On NYSAPF.org, the organization thanked Senator Gianaris and New York State Assemblymember Deborah Glick for their work on this legislation.

SPCA Serving Erie County President and CEO Gary Willoughby is a board member of the NYSAPF, and SPCA Chief Operating Officer Beth Shapiro is also an NYSAPF board member and the organization’s chair of the 501(c)(3) Education Fund. Willoughby and Shapiro are thrilled that these important pieces of legislation have passed.

For more information, please visit the website of the NYSAPF here >>

*Images courtesy of the New York State Animal Protection Federation