§ 384 — Special provisions related to the importation of dogs and cats into the state for sale, resale or adoption

§ 384. Special provisions related to the importation of dogs and cats\ninto the state for sale, resale or adoption. 1. Any dog or cat imported\ninto this state for the purposes of sale, resale or adoption shall be\nheld by the consignee for a period of not less than forty-eight hours.\nSuch dog or cat shall be vaccinated in accordance with section\ntwenty-one hundred forty-one of the public health law and part\nsixty-five of the commissioner's rules and regulations.\n 2. If, during the holding period prescribed in subdivision one of this\nsection, any dog or cat imported into the state for sale, resale or\nadoption exhibits signs of infectious, contagious, parasitic or\ncommunicable disease, including but not limited to coughing, sneezing,\nvomiting, diarrhea or bloody stool, such dog or cat must be isolated and\nexamined by a duly licensed attending veterinarian immediately. Any dogs\nor cats that have been deemed exposed to such dog or cat must be\nquarantined, if necessary, under the direction of such attending\nveterinarian and held until such attending veterinarian declares them to\nbe free of disease.\n 3. Any dog or cat passing through the state to points beyond, or\nbrought into the state for temporary residence for purposes of\nexhibition, or which enters the state for delivery to research\ninstitutions, for fifteen days or fewer, shall be exempt from the\nprovisions of this section, provided that such dog or cat is at all\ntimes properly restrained and under the immediate control of the owner\nor custodian, and that such dog or cat that is in the state for more\nthan fifteen days is accompanied with proof of proper immunization\nagainst rabies. It shall be an affirmative defense to the offense of\nfailure to have accompanied proof of proper immunization against rabies\nof such dog or cat, upon the presentation of proof that such dog or cat\nhad in fact been immunized against rabies at the time of the infraction.\n 4. Violation of any provision of this section shall be a civil\noffense, for which a penalty of not less than one hundred dollars and\nnot more than one thousand dollars for each violation shall be imposed.\nAny person licensed pursuant to article twenty-six-A or twenty-six-C of\nthis chapter who violates any provision of this section may be subject\nto denial, revocation, suspension, or refusal of renewal of his or her\nlicense in accordance with the provisions of section four hundred\ntwenty-one of this chapter.\n