It’s the duty of government officials to enact laws that make things fair and safe for everyone in their communities — whether they be human or animal.
It’s important to keep animal laws updated to protect pets and their owners. Just last week Texas drew praise for passing a major update to their animal cruelty laws, making it illegal to leave dogs chained up during harsh weather.
Now, another major US state has passed a pair of laws that will be welcome news to dog lovers.
On October 30, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed a legislative package into law, containing two welcome and overdue updates to the state’s animal welfare laws.
One bill, Assembly Bill A4075, prohibits insurers from refusing to issue increased premiums on insurance policies based on the breed of dog the holder owns. The bill was first introduced in February.
“To own a pet is a blessing and we owe it to the animals of New York to keep them safe and healthy,“ Gov. Hochul said in a statement. “Dogs of all breeds deserve loving homes and no one should have to fear losing their insurance coverage based on the dog they own.”
The new law received praise from the American Kennel Club. “AKC is grateful to New York Governor Kathy Hochul as well as Senator Michael Gianaris and Assemblywoman Deborah Glick for sponsoring this law, which will ban homeowner’s insurance breed discrimination,” said AKC President & CEO Dennis Sprung in a press release.
“Thanks to this new legislation, effective January 2022, New York dog owners will be protected from having higher rates or being denied homeowner’s insurance based on the breed of dog they own.”
That isn’t the only pet-related law passed during the session. Another bill will now require veterinarians to report suspected animal cruelty to authorities, giving them enough time to respond to protect animals. The law also protects the identities of veterinarians.
“Veterinarians who see signs of abuse in their patients should be safeguarded so they can report said abuse to the proper authorities,” Hochul said. “I am proud to sign these bills into law to ensure the wellbeing of pets across the state.”
We’re so glad New York passed these laws protecting dogs and their owners, making it easier to protect them from abuse and harder for insurers to discriminate based on breed.
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