State Sen. Jim Tedisco, R-Schenectady and sponsor of legislation that would create new state regulations of animal boarding kennels, is pictured holding a dog during the Malta Community Day at Shenantaha Creek Park earlier this month.

State Sen. George Borrello is a co-sponsor of legislation that would better regulate the operation of animal boarding kennels.

S.8510, sponsored by Sen. James Tedisco, R-Schenectady, seeks to address what Tedisco said are failures in state law to properly regulate pet boarding kennels which came to light in the summer of 2025, with the deaths of 21 dogs at a boarder in Argyle and with the murder of the French Bulldog Gus at “A Time for Paws” in Halfmoon. Tedisco wants to create minimum standards at the state level for oversight of boarding kennels.

“The deaths of the 21 dogs in Argyle and Gus the French Bulldog in Halfmoon is absolutely heartbreaking and should never have happened. Families deserve the peace of mind that when they leave their beloved pets at a doggy day care or boarding facility, they will be cared for like the loving family members they are and not left to suffer and die,” Tedisco said.

Currently, it’s up to local governments to regulate these facilities and enforce any violations. The NYS Safe Pet Boarding Act would establish state licensing of all commercial boarding facilities, require random inspections from the state Department of Agriculture and Markets, ensure facilities have adequate space to house animals to prevent overcrowding and always have proper ventilation and temperature control, including back-up procedures if the air conditioning or heating goes off. The bill would also set time limits for pets to be left unattended at the facility by staff and to require video monitoring for times when pets are left unattended; require proper nutrition and ready access to clean water for animals residing at the facilities, require facilities to maintain a vaccination record of dogs in the facility, require minimum training standards and require the state to post an online report card of licensed boarding facilities that is accessible to the public.

If approved, violations would result in potential loss of license to do business and up to a Class A misdemeanor punishable by one year in jail and a $1,000 fine.

“What we have right now in New York State is the ‘Wild West’ of animal care laws and that’s led to one terrible tragedy after another. Enough is enough! I am sponsoring the NYS Safe Pet Boarding Act to bring some order and common sense to our animal care laws by ensuring minimum standards of care and state licensing and oversight of these facilities so we can root out any bad actors and allow the many good ones to flourish,” Tedisco said.

Tedisco also is sponsoring bipartisan legislation to create a statewide registry of animal abusers (S.1563) that contains the names and addresses of persons convicted of animal abuse in New York State, and a bill to ensure abusers receive a psychiatric evaluation and ban those convicted of animal cruelty from owning or possessing a companion animal ever again (S.1044). S.1044 has been introduced eight times since the 2009-10 legislative session and passed the Senate twice before failing both times in the Assembly. Borrello is also a co-sponsor of S.1563, which has been introduced seven times since the 2011-12 legislative session and never made it through the Senate.

Tedisco is is sponsoring a bill to increase penalties for violating “Buster’s Law” from the current two years in jail and a $5,000 fine to four years in prison and a $10,000 fine (S.1205). That bill has been introduced several times since 2009-10, passing the Senate twice before dying in the Assembly. Tedisco is also the sponsor of legislation making it an additional felony with 2 years in jail and a $5,000 fine for harming a companion animal in the commission of another crime such as burglary known as “Kirby & Quiqley’s Law” (S.470). “Kirby & Quiqley’s Law” has been introduced eight times since 2011-12 and passed the Senate four times, but never reached the governor’s desk after failing to be passed by the Assembly.

“As I often remind people about, having and working with a companion animal is not a right, it’s a privilege, but our pets and people have a right to be safe from abuse and neglect. We have an obligation as a government to protect all members of our family, including those who have no voice,” said Senator Tedisco.