The following bill is pending in the NY State legislature, which, in effect, would prohibit The North Shore Animal League from importing animals from outside the state.

A few facts about North Shore. Last year they raised about $31 million from charitable contributions solicited from all across the country. They adopted out about 30,000 animals (mostly puppies and kittens) that same year. Doing the math, that comes to about $10,000 per animal! What do they do with the rest of the money, besides use it to raise more money?

The sad fact is that a significant percent (estimates of 20-50 percent) of these animals are eventually abondoned by their immature or inadequately-screened adopters and they wind up in the NYC animal shelter system (the CACC), where 85 percent of them are euthanized.

For that reason, SRAC supports this bill, and urges you to call your State Senator and State Assemblyman to do the same.

STATE OF NEW YORK 
 SENATE - S. 688-A 
 ASSEMBLY - A. 9802-A 
 March 7, 2000 

 IN SENATE -- Introduced by Sen. BONACIC -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to be Committee on Agriculture committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee. 

 IN ASSEMBLY -- Introduced by M. of A. CAHILL -- Multi-sponsored by - M. of A CLARK, GALEF, GRANNIS, MARKEY, MAYERSOHN, SMITH, SWEENEY, TOWNS -- read once and referred to the Committee on Agriculture - committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee. AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to the release and custody or control of certain animals, The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows: 

  EXPLANATION--Matter in boldface is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. 

1 Section 1. The opening paragraph of subdivision 2-e of section 374 of 
2 the agriculture and markets law, as added by chapter 619 of the laws of 
3 1987, is amended to read as follow: 
4 No person shall release any dog or cat from the custody or control of 
5 any pound, shelter, society for the prevention of cruelty to animals, 
6 humane society, dog protective association, dog control officer, peace 
7 officer or any agent thereof, for any purpose except adoption or redemp- 
8 tion by its owner, provided, however, that such release may be made to 
9 another such pound, shelter, society for the prevention of cruelty to 
10 animals or humane society within this state when such action is reason- 
11 ably believed to improve the opportunity for the adoption of such dog or 
12 cat within a reasonable period of time. No pound, shelter, society for 
13 the prevention of cruelty to animals or similar 
14 private or not-for-profit organization receiving any public funding may 
15 import dogs or cats from outside the state for the purpose of having 
16 such animals adopted within this state. 
17 Section 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall 
 18 have become a law.