The Issue:

This law was written with best intentions, however, as it is currently written without amendments, New York’s new law (Article 26-D) will make it much harder for dog owners to get safe care for their dogs. Article 26-D, called the Safe Pet Boarding Act, was meant to protect dogs. But as written, it will do the opposite for many families. If this law is not changed, dog owners across New York will lose access to safe daycare, boarding, training, grooming, and puppy classes — not because these services are unsafe, but because the law makes it nearly impossible for many responsible providers to stay open. Dogs will not become safer. Instead, they will become harder to manage, harder to train, and harder to place in care.

1. Normal dog-handling tools will be banned, making dogs harder to manage safely

Article 26-D limits many everyday tools that dog professionals use to safely manage dogs, such as gentle leash guidance, verbal redirection, body positioning, and short breaks when dogs become overstimulated. These tools are not harsh or harmful — they are how trained staff prevent problems before they turn into fights, injuries, or fear. Without the ability to calmly guide a dog away from trouble or interrupt unsafe behavior, staff are left waiting until a situation becomes dangerous enough to qualify as an “emergency.”

When early redirection is no longer allowed:
* Dogs are more likely to escalate
* Staff lose the ability to prevent incidents
* Facilities must turn away more dogs
* Group environments become less safe

Removing these tools does not protect dogs. It removes the ability to keep them safe in the first place.

2. This law is going to prohibit puppies from interacting with adult dogs in the same space. It will also prohibit puppies from participating in puppy training, puppy play groups, and early socialization 

Article 26-D makes puppy playgroups and early training classes extremely difficult by requiring full vaccination and preventing puppies from interacting with adult dogs. In daycare, boarding, and training settings, normal, supervised dog-to-dog interaction will be dramatically limited or eliminated altogether.

This is a serious problem because puppies and dogs learn how to behave by interacting with other dogs. Puppies have a very short and critical learning window that closes around 16 weeks of age. During this time, they learn bite inhibition, body language, confidence, and appropriate play through safe, supervised interaction with other dogs — including calm adult dogs who help teach boundaries.

When puppies and dogs are no longer allowed to interact:

*Puppies miss their most important social learning window
*Dogs don’t learn how to read or respond appropriately to other dogs
*Fear and anxiety increase
*Reactivity becomes more common
*Small behavior issues turn into serious problems later in life

Keeping dogs separated does not make them safer. It removes one of the most important ways dogs learn to navigate the world calmly and confidently. Supervised interaction is not reckless — it is responsible, preventative care. By cutting off normal dog-to-dog interaction, this law increases the very behavior problems it claims to prevent.

3. Many dog daycares, trainers, and groomers will be forced to close

Article 26-D applies the same strict building and staffing rules to every type of dog business, regardless of size or service. This includes requirements like isolation rooms, labeled enclosures for every dog, strict noise limits, air-quality testing, and extensive daily paperwork. Many long-standing, responsible businesses were never built to meet these standards and cannot afford major renovations or additional staff. These are not unsafe places — they simply operate on a smaller, more personal scale.

When businesses cannot comply:
* Capacity is reduced
* Prices increase
* Hours are cut
* Or the business closes entirely

When trusted local providers disappear, dog owners lose the safe places they rely on most.

4. Many dogs will be turned away, even if they are loving family pets
Under Article 26-D, facilities may be required to reject dogs for things like barking, anxiety, fearfulness, incomplete vaccines, mild medical conditions, or past behavior issues — even if those dogs were previously handled safely and successfully.

This disproportionately affects:
* Senior dogs
* Rescue dogs
* High-energy breeds
* Nervous or shy dogs
* Dogs with special needs

These dogs are not “bad” dogs. They simply need experienced handling and structure. When facilities are no longer allowed to work with them, owners may have nowhere to go. For some families, this will mean no daycare, no boarding, no grooming, and no training options at all.

5. Dog care will become more expensive and harder to find

Article 26-D adds significant costs to dog-care operations, including new testing requirements, additional staff training, constant documentation, and compliance monitoring.

These costs do not disappear. They are passed directly to dog owners through:
* Higher prices
* Fewer available spots
* Longer waitlists
* Earlier booking requirements
* Loss of affordable, small-scale providers

Families who rely on dog care to work, travel, or manage high-energy dogs will struggle the most. What was once accessible becomes unaffordable or unavailable.

6. Training will be limited to “positive only,” leaving dogs confused and unsafe

Under Article 26-D, many trainers, daycares, and boarding facilities may no longer be allowed to clearly tell a dog “no,” “stop,” or gently redirect unwanted behavior. Balanced training — which uses praise and clear boundaries — is at risk of being restricted or eliminated.
Positive-only training expects dogs to understand rules solely by being rewarded when they do something right. But dogs do not automatically understand what is not allowed unless someone calmly shows them. Imagine trying to learn something new where no one is ever allowed to say “that’s not okay” or “stop” — you are only praised when you accidentally get it right. That would be confusing and frustrating. Dogs experience the same confusion.

Without clear redirection:
* Dogs don’t understand boundaries
* Anxiety and frustration increase
* Unsafe behaviors are harder to stop
* Reactivity and aggression can worsen

Clear, humane communication helps dogs feel safe and confident. Taking away a trainer’s ability to calmly redirect behavior does not protect dogs — it sets them up to fail.

Why This Matters:

Dogs are family. Most dog owners rely on professionals to help keep their dogs socialized, trained, and cared for.

If Article 26-D is implemented without changes:
* Fewer services will exist
* Costs will rise
* More dogs will be turned away
* Behavior problems will increase
* Families will lose support

These outcomes are not accidental. They are predictable results of the law as written.

Why Action Is Urgent Right Now:

Article 26-D is not finalized yet. It is currently in committee review, which means lawmakers are actively deciding whether it will move forward as written or be amended. This stage of the process is when public input matters the most. Once a bill leaves committee and advances, it becomes much harder to fix. If Article 26-D moves forward without changes, the impacts described above will become law — and the damage to dog owners, dogs, and access to care will be extremely difficult to undo. Signing this petition and contacting lawmakers right now is critical.
This is the window where amendments can still happen.

Who Is Involved and Needs to Hear From Dog Owners:

The following lawmakers are directly involved in reviewing, sponsoring, or advancing Article 26-D:

Primary Bill Sponsors
These legislators introduced and are actively backing the bill.
* Senator Jim Tedisco – Senate sponsor of Article 26-D
* Assemblymember Angelo Santabarbara – Assembly sponsor of Article 26-D

Assembly Committee Reviewing the Bill

The Assembly version of Article 26-D is currently in the Assembly Agriculture Committee.
Committee members play a major role in whether the bill advances and whether amendments are made.

Key leadership includes:

* Assemblymember Donna Lupardo – Chair, Assembly Agriculture Committee
(All members of the Assembly Agriculture Committee should be contacted.)

Senate Review

The Senate version has been referred to Senate Rules, with policy oversight connected to agriculture and animal welfare.

Key Senate leadership involved includes:

* Senator Jim Tedisco – Sponsor
* Senator George Borrello – Ranking Member, Senate Agriculture Committee
* Senator Michelle Hinchey – Chair, Senate Agriculture Committee

What You Can Do Right Now:

* Sign this petition to show widespread public concern
* Share it with other dog owners, trainers, groomers, and pet families
* Email or call your State Senator and Assemblymember
* Contact the bill sponsors and committee members directly
* Ask for practical amendments to Article 26-D, not repeal

Every message matters. Lawmakers pay attention when they hear from large numbers of constituents during committee review.

Final Message:

Dogs are family.
 Laws meant to protect them must work in the real world. Article 26-D can still be fixed — but only if dog owners speak up now, before it moves forward without changes. Please sign, share, and contact the lawmakers involved to demand amendments that protect dogs without taking away the care they need to thrive.