Every day, thousands of families across New York entrust their beloved pets to daycares and boarding kennels. We expect these facilities to provide safety, care, and love — but the truth is, there are almost no consistent regulations in place to protect our pets.

Too many heartbreaking stories have emerged: pets injured, neglected, or even lost in the care of untrained or unprepared facilities. Unlike child care, the pet care industry has no statewide standards for staff education, emergency planning, or even basic safety practices. Our pets deserve better.

Here’s what needs to change:

Require staff training and certification in animal behavior, first aid, and safe handling.
Enforce reasonable pet-to-staff ratios to prevent overcrowding and neglect.
Mandate emergency protocols for fires, medical crises, and natural disasters.
Set basic facility standards for cleanliness, space, ventilation, and enrichment.
Hold facilities accountable with transparent reporting when incidents occur.

Our dogs and cats are family. We would never leave a child in an unsafe, unregulated environment — and we should never have to risk our pets’ lives either.

By signing this petition, you’re joining other New Yorkers who believe in raising the bar for animal safety, compassion, and professionalism. Together, we can push our legislators to create laws that protect our four-legged family members.

Let’s give pets across New York the protection they deserve.

Sign today. Share widely. Let’s make change happen.