Int. No. 234

By Council Member Quinn (by request of the Mayor)

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to full-service shelters housing lost, stray or homeless animals.

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

                     Section 1.  Subdivision c of section 17-802 of the administrative code of the city of New York, as added by local law 26 for the year 2000, is amended to read as follows:

                     c. "Full-service shelter" shall mean a facility required to have a permit issued pursuant to subdivision (b) of section 161.09 of the New York city health code that houses lost, stray or homeless animals and: 

                     (1) accepts dogs and cats [twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week] pursuant to section 17-809 of this chapter; 

                     (2) has an adoption program open [seven days a week] pursuant to such section 17-809; and 

                     (3) provides sterilization services for dogs and cats and any other veterinary services deemed necessary by a licensed veterinarian at such shelter or at a veterinary facility. 

                     §2.  Section 17-805 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new subdivision h to read as follows:

                     h. Provided, however, that the department shall report to the council each month the number of adoptable animals that were humanely euthanized at each full service shelter during the previous month.

                     §3.  Chapter 8 of title 17 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 17-809 to read as follows:

                     §17-809  Hours of operation and adoption program at full-service shelters.  From July first, two thousand two until December thirty-first, two thousand four a full service shelter shall accept dogs and cats twelve hours per day, seven days per week and shall operate an adoption program during weekends and three additional days during each week.  The adoption program shall be operational for a minimum of six hours during each day the adoption program is required to be operational as provided by this section.  After January first, two thousand five, a full service shelter shall accept dogs and cats twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week and shall operate an adoption program seven days per week.

                     §4.  Chapter 8 of title 17 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 17-810 to read as follows:

                     §17-810  In determining when a full-service shelter may euthanize a lost, stray or homeless animal held by it, such shelter shall exclude from the calculation of the number of hours that such shelter is required by law to hold such animal before euthanizing such animal those hours when such shelter is not required to accept dogs and cats pursuant to sections 17-802 and 17-809 of this chapter.

                     §5. Section 2 of local law number 26 for the year 2000 is amended to read as follows:

                     §2. This local law shall take effect one hundred eighty days after its enactment; provided, however, that Section 17-803 shall take effect January 1, 2001 with respect to the boroughs of Brooklyn, Manhattan and Staten Island[;] and [provided further, that such section shall take effect] July 1, [2002] 2006 with respect to the boroughs of the Bronx and Queens, and provided, further, that with respect to the boroughs of the Bronx and Queens, the city shall acquire the sites and comply with the provisions of section 197-c of the New York city charter by July first, two thousand four, and shall complete construction of the shelter facilities by July first, two thousand six.

                     §6. This local law shall take effect immediately.