§ 423 — Recordkeeping and protocols

§ 423. Recordkeeping and protocols. 1. Each animal shelter shall\nexamine an animal upon intake for unique identifiers and any other form\nof identification that may allow for reunification with an owner, as\nprescribed in sections one hundred seventeen and three hundred\neighty-two of this chapter.\n 2. Each animal shelter shall create and maintain a record for each\nanimal in their custody or possession which shall minimally include:\n (a) Unique identifiers and any other identification associated with\nthe animal upon examination at entry, including but not limited to a\ntattoo, a permanent official identification number as prescribed in\nsection one hundred twelve of this chapter or other identification tags,\nrabies tags and numbers, or a microchip number, if present;\n (b) The name, address and telephone number of the person surrendering\nan animal or from whom an animal is seized, and additional contact\ninformation as the commissioner may require, or the address or\ncross-streets and city, town, or village where the animal was located or\nfound prior to intake, if known;\n (c) The date of intake into and departure from the animal shelter;\n (d) Whether the animal was adopted, transferred, redeemed by its\nowner, died or was humanely euthanized, and, if applicable, the name,\naddress, and phone number of the receiving individual or agency;\n (e) Basic descriptors including species, age, gender, physical\ndescription including color, and the spay or neuter status at entry if\ndeterminable with reasonable certainty;\n (f) Any available behavioral or health history or information\notherwise obtained at intake, including bite history and rabies\nvaccination status, when known; and\n (g) All veterinary and behavioral examinations, treatments,\nprocedures, or medications occurring during the animal's time under the\ncare of the shelter.\n 3. Notwithstanding any other provision of law or regulation to the\ncontrary, records for each animal shall be maintained for not less than\nthree years from the date of animal departure.\n 4. Previous bite history shall be fully disclosed in writing to an\nadopter, transfer partner, or reclaiming owner and provided in any\nreports regarding the animal, as applicable.\n 5. Nothing in this section shall preclude or otherwise supersede\nrecord disclosure requirements prescribed in section sixty-seven hundred\nfourteen of the education law, or any requirement regarding the\ncreation, maintenance, or retention of veterinary medical records in\nstate or federal law or veterinary practice guideline.\n 6. Each animal shelter shall maintain a record of its designated\nfoster care providers that shall include the written agreement\nestablished between such animal shelter and such providers pursuant to\nsection four hundred thirty-two of this article, each provider's name,\naddress, telephone number, email address if available, types of animals\nfor which the provider is willing to provide care, inspection reports,\nand current number of animals in the care of a designated foster care\nprovider. Such records shall be updated immediately in the event any\ncontact information for a given foster care provider changes.\n 7. Each animal shelter shall maintain summary records of their total\nannual animal intake and dispositions by species, by source of intake,\nand by type of disposition. Such records shall be made available to the\ncommissioner upon request. The commissioner shall make such records\navailable to the public upon request pursuant to article six of the\npublic officers law.\n 8. Each animal shelter shall develop and maintain written protocols\nsufficiently detailed to achieve and maintain the standards prescribed\nin this section. These shall include, but not be limited to, the\nfollowing:\n (a) animal handling;\n (b) behavioral assessment;\n (c) enrichment and stress reduction;\n (d) management of bite/scratch cases; and\n (e) sanitation.\n 9. Each animal shelter shall also develop and maintain the following\nwritten protocols, approved by a duly licensed veterinarian and\nsufficiently detailed to achieve and maintain the standards prescribed\nin this article:\n (a) nutrition and feeding;\n (b) physical examination;\n (c) emergency veterinary care;\n (d) pain management;\n (e) vaccinations;\n (f) parasite control;\n (g) anesthesia and surgery, if performed on-site by the organization;\n (h) humane euthanasia; and\n (i) outbreak management/control of infectious diseases.\n 10. Protocols established by each animal shelter pursuant to this\nsection shall be reviewed annually and updated as necessary by\ndesignated administrative and managerial staff. Such protocols shall be\nmade readily accessible to appropriate staff and volunteers.\n