License Your Cat in NYC: Following NYS Laws - Essay Sample

New York City permits one to own and license a cat as long as they follow the state laws. In Agriculture and Markets Law Section 377-a, a cat that is four months or older must be licensed by the New York State (Dolan et al., 2017). One needs to file an application and pay the licensing fee and present a rabies vaccination certificate. If the cat is sprayed, then the owner should submit an affidavit showing that the vet responsible for it did the job. The tag is placed on the cat, and they should have it on all the time. The New York state requires that one cannot adopt a cat unless it is sprayed or neutered within a 30-day window, and the owner should deposit a fee for the process (Bao & Schreer, 2016). The above process should be recorded in an agreement, and the owner is liable for all the costs incurred. The deposit may be refunded if a vet determines that the process may endanger the life of the cat.

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In New York State law, in General Business Law article 35 D, if a consumer purchases a dog and in the event finds out that it is ill, the owner has the right to get a refund and also keep the animal (Dolan et al., 2017). The refund fee cannot exceed the original purchase price and the total amount of resources spent in an attempt to cure the animal. The new owner also has the option to return the cat and get a full refund of the purchase fee and the total amount spent on medical services for the cat. The owner can choose to get another cat with a value of the original fee with the cost of the medical fees (Rock et al., 2017). The owner should, however, present a certification from a vet to show that the animal was not fit for sale. The above options are only valid within a 14-day window after the date of purchase. However, the law does not apply when a vet finds intestinal parasites in the cat unless the same cause illness to the animal. The above laws on refunding are essential to protect the consumer, but they are more laws that protect them in business like the Uniform Commercial Code (Dolan et al., 2017). The cat dealer should provide the registration details of the pet to the owner within a 120-day window after purchase.

There are New York State laws that protect an adopted cat from cruelty. Section 353-b of Agriculture and Markets Law requires that an owner gives a good cat shelter (Dolan et al., 2017). If the cat, if found wandering outdoors, the owner may attract fines, but they can defend themselves by proving that they did what is required of them in regards to the shelter. Different forms of cruelty attract a charge of misdemeanor according to section 353 in the Agriculture and Markets law (Dolan et al., 2017). They include starving the animal, physical injury, killing, maiming, overloading, and overdriving the animal (Rock et al., 2017). If the owner intentionally causes serious harm by injuring the animal or killing it, the owner is charged with aggravated cruelty according to section 353-a in Agriculture and Markets law (Dolan et al., 2017). It is commonly referred to as the Buster’s Law. It is a felony in the New York State and the United States of America.

A cat owner can also be charged with a misdemeanor, according to section 355 of Agriculture and Markets Law (Dolan et al., 2017). It occurs when the cat owner abandons the pet in a street or public area, and as a result, it becomes disabled or dies. Abandoning the animal occurs when the owner leaves it with the vet without notice or past the allocated time and fails to pick the cat at the stipulated or a later time. The owner has a ten-day window to collect their pet, and it is during this time that they are notified. After 20 days of the notice without response, the owner receives a charge of misdemeanor according to the law above. The animal can then be handed over to a registered humane society if the owner fails to pick up the animal within the window after the notice (Bao & Schreer, 2016). However, the original owner is still liable for any expenses incurred when treating the animal before and during the transfer to the humane society.

Licensing a cat is not a one-time process as the owner has to renew the license every year and always to make sure that the pet wears a collar (Bao & Schreer, 2016). The addendum laws are favorable, and they are the minimum required to own a cat, especially in apartments that have more residents living close together. As a cat owner in New York City, one has to follow all the state laws and the addendum regulations to stay on the safe side. Failure to follow them attracts fines, and in the worst-case scenario, one can be stripped of ownership. Cats are easy-going animals, and they should not be a problem keeping.

References

Bao, K. J., & Schreer, G. (2016). Pets and happiness: Examining the association between pet ownership and wellbeing. Anthrozoös, 29(2), 283-296. https://doi.org/10.1080/08927936.2016.1152721

Dolan, E. D., Weiss, E., & Slater, M. R. (2017). Welfare impacts of spay/neuter-focused outreach on companion animals in New York City public housing. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 20(3), 257-272. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888705.2017.1305904

Rock, M. J., Rault, D., & Degeling, C. (2017). Dog-bites, rabies and one health: Towards improved coordination in research, policy and practice. Social Science & Medicine, 187, 126-133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.06.036