Kellner, Advocates Unveil Legislation That Will Save Thousands of New York’s Shelter Animals

May 16, 2011

NYC – New York State Assembly Member Micah Z. Kellner (D-Upper East Side, Yorkville, and Roosevelt Island), along with animal rescue advocates, announced comprehensive legislation that will ensure qualified animal welfare groups access to shelter animals.

The Companion Animal Access and Rescue Act (CAARA) sets minimum standards that allow rescue groups to recover animals from a shelter, a society for the prevention of cruelty to animals, humane society or pound that are scheduled to be destroyed. Current New York law only allows for individuals to adopt from shelters, which gives shelters the ability to deny these qualified groups access to these animals.

“There are tens of thousands animals in New York State shelters waiting to be adopted and most are healthy, well-behaved, and just in need of a loving home,” Assembly Member Kellner said. “When a humane organization volunteers to take these animals, they should not be denied. A shelter should work with them to the fullest extent possible. States like California and Delaware have already passed similar legislation, and now it is time for New York to step up to the plate.”

In 1998, California passed the Hayden Law which includes a provision this legislation is modeled after, allowing not-for-profit animal rescue or animal adoption organizations to request possession of a dog or cat prior to its killing. Delaware passed similar legislation in 2010 that seeks to find sheltered animals homes, rather than euthanize them. Both bills passed with overwhelming bipartisan support.

CAARA is a comprehensive measure that goes beyond just giving rescue groups mere access. For the first time, it sets qualifications and guidelines for both shelters and rescue groups. Outlining the responsibilities of those who work directly with the animals will help ensure that the animals receive the proper care. These provisions ensure that animals are given fresh food and water on a daily basis, exercise and socialization with other animals, clean living environments, and prompt veterinary care. Additionally, both paper and digital records are required in order to help facilitate finding these animals a home. To ensure compliance, routine inspections of the facility are mandated.

Furthermore, CAARA extends whistleblower protections to rescue groups. In many cases, rescue groups have been denied access to shelters for speaking out against bad practices, whether it be for abuse or mismanagement. Every time a group is turned away, it adds to the undue burden on the taxpayer who has to foot the bill for every animal kept or killed in a shelter.

“Allowing qualified groups to have access is not only the compassionate thing to do,” continued Kellner, “but it saves taxpayers money at a time when they need it the most.”

“The Companion Animal Access and Rescue Act is a progressive piece of legislation that will benefit the animals and is in line with our mission of No More Homeless Pets,” said Gregory Castle, chief executive officer of Best Friends Animal Society. “We are pleased to have been able to work with Assemblyman Kellner and we believe the key points of this legislation elevate the standards of care of shelter animals in New York State, provide needed access for rescue organizations thereby saving many animal lives, and serve as a template for similar legislation in other states.”

"Not only will CAARA save tens of thousands of animals in shelters across the state every year at no cost to taxpayers, but it will have impact across the country as others follow New York's lead and introduce similar laws,” said Nathan J. Winograd of the No-Kill Advocacy Center, the nation’s first organization dedicated solely to the promotion of a No Kill nation. “Where New York goes, so goes the nation."

“Alley Cat Allies stands fully behind Assembly Member Micah Kellner and the Companion Animal Access and Rescue Act. This legislation could help save the lives of countless cats who would otherwise be killed in New York animal pounds and shelters,” said Becky Robinson, president of Alley Cat Allies, the national advocate for stray and feral cats. “The public wants better from the animal pound and sheltering system, and CAARA would improve accountability by mandating disclosure of the fates of animals impounded in animal shelters.”

“CAARA will save thousands of lives, and will have a positive financial consequence for taxpayers, as rescue groups and volunteers save animals at their own expense,” said Peter Muller, State Director for the League of Humane Voters of New York.

The legislation is sponsored in the New York State Senate by Senator Joseph Robach (R-C-I, Rochester).

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