December 7, 2018
The Albany County Legislature has adopted an amended version of a proposal designed to protect dogs left unattended in vehicles when their health and safety could be at risk.
The AKC Government Relations Department would like to thank everyone who called, emailed, and attended the hearing in Albany County, NY. Because of your efforts, amendments to Proposal H brought forth by the AKC and Associated Dog Clubs of NY (ADCNYS), have been added to the proposal.
As introduced, Proposal H would have allowed anyone to remove a dog from a vehicle if it was believed the animal was at risk. The final version passed by the county expands current New York State law to allow all first responders, animal control officers, veterinarians, and veterinary technicians to remove a dog in these situations. This expands the number of people who can address these situations, while avoiding some of the unintended consequences that could happen when any citizen removes a dog from a vehicle. These amendments will ensure the dogs receive the proper care and attention they need, and the situation is handled by those most qualified to do so.
AKC GR thanks County Legislator Bryan Clenahan for his leadership and willingness to amend his proposal to address the comments and concerns of AKC, our state federation, and local concerned dog clubs and owners.
We also appreciate ADCNYS and the local clubs who worked to communicate with the county. Without their tremendous effort, this success for Albany County dogs would not be possible.
For more information please contact the AKC Government Relations department at doglaw@akc.org or 919-816-3720.