Listed are Westchester municipalities that have passed animal cruelty legislation as well as municipalities that are considering such legislation. We are also listing laws that are outside of Westchester County but are good examples of laws we believe should be passed. We will note when a law is outside the county where applicable. Note that these lists are not complete and we encourage you to further your research with links provided on the Resources page. Currently there are two categories of laws listed: Puppy/Kitten Mill Bans and Tether Laws:
PUPPY/KITTEN MILL BANS
Mamaroneck, NY
Mt. Pleasant, NY
Rye Brook, NY
Yorktown, NY
Harrison, NY (Harrison’s law is very weak and we believe not as effective as it should be in protecting animals from puppy and kitten mills. It states AKC registration as criteria for allowing the sale of puppies and kittens. AKC registration is meaningless and does nothing to protect animals in puppy/kitten mills.)
Port Chester, NY
Ossining, NY
Municipalities to Watch for Puppy/Kitten Mill Bans
Peekskill, NY:
Petition signature-gathering has started. You can download a copy of the petition here if you’d like to help gather signatures in Peekskill. Contact us for more info.
Puppy Mill Bans Outside of Westchester
Examples of puppy mill ban laws that are outside of Westchester County can be found here: http://bestfriends.org/resources/puppy-mills/states-local-pet-sale-bans
TETHER LAWS
Well-crafted tether laws prohibit the tethering of animals for lengthy periods, in all weather conditions and protect them from being tied up unattended and without care.
Westchester County, NY – also see blog
Port Chester, NY
Ossining, NY (Ossining’s law is very weak and allows dogs to be tethered for 12 hours in unspecified weather conditions. We feel that this law is ineffective in protecting tethered animals).
Tether Laws Outside of Westchester
Suffolk County, NY
New York City, NY
Miami, FL
Austin, TX
claaw.org 