A 1980 New York Assembly · 2025 Regular Session

Excludes certain animals from the definition of "wildlife"

This bill amends New York's environmental conservation law to explicitly exclude domesticated animals (including dogs and cats) from the legal definition of "wildlife." It directly affects companion animals by removing them from wildlife regulations, meaning laws governing wildlife management, hunting, and protection no longer apply to pets. The key mechanism is a simple definition change in the law, specifying that "wildlife" excludes "companion animals" as defined elsewhere, while still covering fish, shellfish, and crustaceans. The change takes immediate effect and does not alter existing laws governing pets.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 14, 2025 Last action Jan 7, 2026
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Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
2
Key actions
0
Committee
2
Jan 7, 2026
Committee
REFERRED TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION
lower
Jan 14, 2025
Committee
REFERRED TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Deborah Glick
Deborah Glick
DDemocratic
NY
66