New York Agriculture and Markets Code § 425

Animal housing
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§ 425. Animal housing. 1. Each licensed animal shelter shall provide\neach animal in its custody or possession with a suitable primary\nenclosure that meets the requirements prescribed in this section.\n  2. Unsupervised tethering for periods exceeding thirty minutes is\nprohibited.\n  3. Animal housing shall meet the following requirements:\n  (a) materials used in housing construction shall be non-porous,\nwater-resistant, non-toxic, and able to withstand regular cleaning and\ndisinfection;\n  (b) drainage shall prevent accumulation of water or other liquids on\nfloors; and\n  (c) housing shall be structurally sound, in good repair and maintained\nin a safe, working condition to properly confine animals, prevent\ninjury, keep animals safe from predation, keep other animals out, and\nallow animals to remain dry and clean.\n  4. Wire or slat-bottom cages are prohibited unless a solid tray is\nprovided for the cage bottom to prevent injury to the animal.\n  5. Animal populations shall be segregated appropriately, in accordance\nwith the following requirements:\n  (a) dogs and cats shall be housed in separate rooms with efforts made\nto minimize the exposure of cats to the barking of dogs to the extent\npracticable;\n  (b) animals of the same species shall be separated by age groups (e.g.\nneonates and juveniles; adults) except that nursing animals may be\nhoused with their offspring;\n  (c) animals with known or suspected infectious diseases shall be\nhoused in isolation areas as prescribed in subdivision nine of section\nfour hundred twenty-four of this article;\n  (d) nothing in this subdivision shall be construed to prevent the\ntemporary housing of animals in areas without such segregation for\nmedical care and in pre- and post-operative surgical areas.\n  6. Well-socialized, healthy animals may be housed with one or more\nconspecifics. Animals housed together shall be compatible and have\nsimilar environmental requirements. Such housing shall not allow\nexposure to numerous different animals on a frequently changing basis.\n  7. Prior to being housed with one or more other animals the following\nconditions shall apply:\n  (a) all animals are vaccinated and dewormed against the pathogens\nspecified in section four hundred twenty-nine of this article;\n  (b) physical examinations verifying the absence of clinical signs of\ninfectious diseases have been performed;\n  (c) surgical sterilization or housing in same-sex groupings, except\nlittermates under twelve weeks of age; and\n  (d) the animal has a collar or tag to facilitate visual\nidentification, unless the animal's age or condition is such that\napplication of visual identification is not practicable or would be\ndetrimental to the animal's health.\n  8. Animals that are poorly socialized, fearful, or aggressive towards\nother animals or that are ill, injured, or within a week of whelping or\nqueening shall be housed individually in a suitably sized, enriched\nprimary enclosure.\n  (a) Littermates under the age of twelve weeks may be co-housed in an\nisolation area if all individuals are infected with the same infectious,\ncontagious, parasitic or communicable disease.\n  (b) Dogs and cats within a week of giving birth or until separation\nfrom the offspring shall be provided with a box with a solid floor large\nenough to allow the animal to lie fully stretched on its side,\npermitting all offspring to nurse and to accommodate all offspring until\nweaned; and an area large enough to allow the dam or queen to leave the\nwhelping box.\n  9. Each enclosure shall clearly indicate the identities of all animals\ncontained within, specifying each animal's unique identifier as required\nunder section four hundred twenty-three of this article. Each animal\nshall also be individually identified.\n  10. All primary enclosures shall provide sufficient space to allow\neach animal, regardless of species, to:\n  (a) make all normal postural adjustments;\n  (b) fully stretch its body a

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