Today we’re calling on lawmakers on the New York State Assembly’s Agriculture Committee to support Assembly Bill 7312, the New York Companion Animal Access and Rescue Act (CAARA), when the bill is offered at a committee hearing on Thursday, May 31.
Under CAARA, if a rescue group is willing to take an animal, the shelter must release that animal to the rescue group; animals would no longer be killed because the impoundment period is up.
The bill would also implement commonsense, basic protocols to reunite lost animals with their owners and caregivers, such as requiring shelters to scan for microchips. CAARA would also establish an improved, more specific standard of care for impounded animals, including requiring a clean living space, appropriate exercise, and fresh food and water daily.
CAARA would also promote transparency at animal pounds and shelters, requiring them to disclose information about what happens to animals under their care.