* § 429. Veterinary care. 1. Prescription medications and treatments
shall be administered by each animal shelter under the advisement of or
in accordance with written protocols provided by a duly licensed
veterinarian.

2. All drugs shall be documented and dispensed by each animal shelter
in accordance with applicable local, state, and federal laws and
regulations.

3. All incoming animals shall be assessed within two hours after
intake by a trained animal shelter staff member to determine if any
physical abnormalities exist that require immediate veterinary attention
in accordance with the shelter's written protocol for emergency care, as
required by section four hundred twenty-three of this article.

4. Each animal shelter shall have the ability to provide for
veterinary assessment and humane care in a timely fashion through
in-house facilities or at an off-site location.

5. Pursuant to the written protocol for emergency veterinary care
required by section four hundred twenty-three of this article, each
animal shelter shall provide appropriate and timely veterinary care for
any animal that is in distress, experiencing pain, or showing signs of
significant illness or injury.

6. Each animal shelter shall recognize and treat acute and chronic
pain appropriately, as set forth in article twenty-six of this chapter.
The legal status regarding the ownership of any animal shall not prevent
treatment to relieve suffering.

7. Each animal shelter shall provide a complete physical examination
of all animals in its custody or possession by trained shelter staff
within twenty-four hours of intake to identify medical or behavioral
conditions that require further evaluation and care. Animals shall
specifically be examined for bite wounds; animals that have potentially
been exposed to rabies shall be managed in accordance with applicable
local and state laws. Each animal shelter shall comply with the rabies
reporting requirements prescribed in 10 NYCRR 2.14.

8. Each animal shelter shall vaccinate each animal in its custody or
possession with core vaccines as recommended by national standards and
guidelines specific to animal shelters as established, endorsed or
approved by the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP),
American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), or the Association of
Shelter Veterinarians (ASV).

9. Each animal shelter shall provide all dogs, cats, and ferrets in
its custody or possession with a rabies vaccination prior to release in
accordance with local public health laws. Each animal shelter shall be
in compliance at all times with section one hundred nine of this chapter
and title four of article twenty-one of the public health law.

10. At a minimum, each animal shelter shall treat all animals in its
custody or possession for hookworms and roundworms prior to release
and/or placement in foster care.

11. When a physical or behavioral abnormality is identified at the
time of intake or at any time during any animal's shelter stay, staff
members shall follow written medical protocols required by section four
hundred twenty-three of this article, to determine if and when any
animal in its custody or possession needs to be examined by a duly
licensed veterinarian. If the animal is in foster care, the foster care
provider shall follow written medical protocols to determine whether the
animal needs to be examined by a duly licensed veterinarian.

12. Any animal in the custody or possession of any animal shelter for
more than thirty days shall be examined and weighed at least monthly by
a trained staff member. Animals in foster care shall be examined and
weighed at least once every six months by a trained staff member.

13. Any apparently healthy animal remaining within the custody or
possession of any animal shelter shall be examined by a duly licensed
veterinarian at least every six months, or more frequently if problems
are identified.

14. Each animal shelter shall provide regular grooming to prevent
discomfort or injury to each animal in its custody or possession.
Matted, soiled, or otherwise unkempt animals shall be provided with
timely grooming to alleviate discomfort and prevent injury within
forty-eight hours of intake or identification of condition. Severe
matting that prevents normal movement, an animal's ability to eat,
drink, urinate, or defecate, or that compromises tissue health shall be
treated as a medical emergency requiring immediate care.

15. (a) No animal shelter shall release any dog or cat for adoption to
any person unless the dog or cat has been spayed or neutered, in
accordance with section three hundred seventy-seven-a of this chapter.

(b) Prior to performing spay/neuter surgery at any animal shelter:

(i) All animals in such shelter's custody or possession shall receive
an examination by a duly licensed veterinarian within twenty-four hours
of surgery and anesthesia. Such examination may be performed under
sedation or anesthesia if, due to the animal's behavior, an examination
is not possible while awake.

(ii) Balanced anesthetic protocols that include sedation, the
provision of pre- and post-operative analgesia, stress reduction, muscle
relaxation and controlled, reversible loss of consciousness shall be
utilized for all animals.

(iii) While surgery is being performed, the operating area shall be
dedicated to surgery and contain the necessary equipment for anesthesia
and patient monitoring.

(iv) Aseptic surgical technique shall be required, and separate
sterile instruments shall be used for each patient. All instruments and
equipment shall be maintained in proper working condition.

(v) A permanent tattoo shall be placed on the ventral abdomen of
shelter-owned cats and dogs at the time of spay or neuter.

(vi) Each animal shelter shall provide adoptive owners instructions in
both written and verbal forms for ten-day post-operative care of
recently spayed or neutered animals.

(c) Written protocols required by section four hundred twenty-three of
this chapter, shall be followed to handle related post-operative
emergencies.

* NB Effective December 15, 2025