What problems need to be prepared if you decide to have a pet in New York

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A couple of times a year, a reptile show takes place in a place not far from New York White Plains, where you can not only see a beautiful lizard, but also buy it. However, in the city of New York, where you calmly get for 20 minutes on the train, you can not import this reptile. Either imported, but will be fined. Because in terms of the content of reptiles, New York City and New York state legislation diverge. And the headache can deliver not only a reptile.

ForumDaily found out what troubles of the domestic and legal sense may threaten those who decide to have a pet in New York.

What is impossible, what can

According to New York State law, you can keep frogs, toads, salamanders, snakes (as long as they don't lay eggs, which is a vague disclaimer that leaves me wondering what to do if the snake is a male). But according to city law, no. If you can’t live without a snake, you need to go to a lawyer and find out the full list of snake breeds that you can and cannot own.

With dogs, the legislation is more voluminous. The main thing is to know:

• do not start a dog without the knowledge of the landlord;
• a landlord has the right to evict a tenant with a dog if the landlord does not approve of the dog;
• if the landlord has protracted and has not started the eviction trial within 3 months after he saw the dog, then the dog has the right to live in the apartment and further, according to the terms of the contract.

If you live in a private house in New York, then by law you have the right to start a 1 cat or 1 dog (with the exception of small dogs up to 25 pounds of weight). It’s impossible to start a big dog and a cat together. Again, the question is, what will it be?

Actually, in most cases - nothing, but no one can guarantee this to anyone. By the way, do you know that by law a dog can walk only on your left and on the left side of the road?

And do you know that, by law, you can ask a special worker for support and legislative protection for your animal? And after the death of the animal, the patronage does not apply to the following animals acquired by you.

Legislation The USA about pets is incredibly complex. Because there are city laws, state laws and even laws by districts (or alternatively, the law of Brooklyn or Queens), and they may not coincide at all.

Federal legislation logically prevails over all others, but the court will still consider a lawsuit, say, your landlord, based on the legislation on the city.

The laws on simple animals (cats and dogs) are one part of the document, and the laws on special animals are another. Small animals such as guinea pigs, hamsters, and birds are a separate part of the document (by the way, according to the law, you can get several, unlike large dogs, for example).

According to the degree of adaptation to the human being, to make lawmaking while in New York are cats.

If your cat has been with you for a year or more and you can prove it, he will not be evicted under state law. But, reading animal laws on the Internet, you may come across the magic phrase “Make sure this law is not outdated” - and here I sincerely advise you to have valerian on hand, thank God, it is still sold without a prescription in New York State .

On the Internet there is a separate document on how to find documents related to legislation on pets.

A separate item of the law are rabbits. It is written in lawaffecting the activities of New York pet stores.

Starting from 1 on April 2016, pet shops cannot sell, give away, display, transfer or deliver rabbits, as well as carry out any trade operations with rabbits.

It was about de jure. What happens de facto? Russian New Yorkers get animals, definitely not reading all the laws on their content, simply because they can not be read.

Why does the dog have a license?

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As already given an example ForumDaily (What You Need to Know If You Want to Own a Pet in America) Having a dog without a license is like driving a car without a driver's license. You move freely along the streets and highways, but only until the first police stop or the first incident on the road.

That is, until the neighbors complained to your dog or bit her, you are unlikely to come across the Animal Control Service. But if the above cases still happen, the penalty for the lack of a license you have to pay many times more than the annual price for a license. For example, legalizing a dog for a year costs an average of $ 20-30. A fine, depending on the state, about $250.

In addition, the resulting medallion will help to quickly find a dog or a cat if they are lost. And such animals have more chances to survive - in case of catching unlicensed pets “animal control” can simply put them to sleep.

Another important point is the opportunity to sue if you think the dog has been stolen. A similar would qualify as a crime only if, again, the dog has a license.

There is a cat - look for witnesses

The story of Catherine P. and Psina (3 of the year)

Apartment building withBrooklyn Standard Building

Renting an apartment, Katya did not count on any cat, everything happened spontaneously. Photos from the personal archive

When Kate moved into the apartment in which she lives now, she did not know her cat yet. However, a rather strange story took place in the process, and Psin became a hostage. The former owner of the cat either could not, or no longer wanted to continue living with him, and at first gave him a temporary overexposure to Katya, and after 2 of the month reported that she could not take the cat back, referring either to allergies or domestic problems and not even bother to bring the cat documents. Katya was the only person who could “adopt” him. The cat was (and is) purebred, sterilized, healthy; the problem was different: when renting an apartment, Katya did not count on any cat, everything happened spontaneously.

If there are people who can confirm that the cat has been living with you for more than a year, no one has the right to evict it. Photo from personal archive

“How it happened: I moved in without a cat and, accordingly, I did not need any permissions from the super / landlord. The management of my house is relatively loyal, and I don’t think that I would be refused if I had announced my intentions to have a pet, but it would probably have increased the cost of rent. When the previous owner of the cat refused it, and Psina stayed with me forever, I did not inform the landlord, but for safety purposes I decided to clarify what rights the animal has. I was afraid that since I did not inform the management, they might ask me to leave.

Then I learned that if the tenant starts a pet, the existence of which was not foreseen by anyone from the very beginning, the most important thing is for the animal to live with you for at least a year, and so that there are witnesses.

If there are people who can confirm that the cat has been living with you for more than a year, no one has the right to evict it. The difficulty with the cat was that there were almost no opportunities to show it to the neighbors, since cats live within the apartment and do not go outside.

But I can say I was lucky: once there was a fire in my building, evacuation began, and I, having plunged the cat into the carrier, ran out of the house. Downstairs other tenants gathered. And then I was glad that so many people would immediately see my cat, and I would be able to turn to them as witnesses, if that ”.

Rats are sold only as food for boas.

Elena Sedova and rat Marcus (almost 2 of the year)

Private residential building, second floor

In the pet store Marcus was sold as food to a boa. Photos from the personal archive

After moving to New York, artist Lena Sedova got a rat. The real one, the very sight of which horrifies New Yorkers. They are horrified because, as a result of the situation in the New York subway, they have developed a persistent stereotype: a rat is a dirty animal, a carrier of infection. Women squeal at the sight of rats.

In the pet store Marcus was sold as food to a boa. Rats in pet stores in New York generally sell only as such. The seller was extremely surprised that the girl acquires it as a pet.

According to Lena, the rats in New York suddenly hate a lot of people.

The author of this material happened to check this very tangible difference in mentality. For a resident of Russia or Ukraine, to start a rat is a common thing, but all you have to do is tell an American about, for example, that you had a rat in your childhood - you immediately come across a wave of misunderstanding: a rat? From those that live in a subway? We had to dig out the terms "white" and "laboratory" rat in eccyclopedia.

“Since then, the phrase “I have a rat” has been a litmus test for a person for me. The big question is always how the interlocutor will react to this. To put it mildly, not all my friends reacted positively. It was a completely new experience. Sometimes they spoke to me quite rudely: “Get away your rat!” - this was unpleasant to hear, especially since, having recognized these animals, I sincerely loved them. Marcus lives in my room, I don’t let him down on the floor, he lives in an aquarium, is legally equivalent to a hamster, and so far I haven’t had any problems with the landlord. Only, so to speak, with society.

It happens that a person has not even seen my rat, but has already wrinkled his face and moved away just because I said that I have it. “How do you kiss her?!” - people are indignant.

They are perceived as cockroaches, and meanwhile, they are the smartest animals, very developed, very attached to their masters. Marcus, for example, is very sincere and offended for a long time if I leave somewhere and he stays with his neighbors.

I read a lot about rats and their habits: in nature they prefer not to fight, but to humiliate an opponent with a look. They are very emotional, they can literally die of resentment. And, loving the owner, they kiss him again, constantly. I walk with him, ride a scooter. Whiskers from the wind fluttering.

The first time I stroked him with gloves, I was afraid that he would bite. Then it turned out that it is completely safe, despite the fact that it is quite large: 15 inches height + 15 inches tail.

The most stupid question I’ve heard is: “Rat? Did she crawl by herself? ”.

Small animals, such as rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, according to the law, you can start a few. If you have a private house. However, the laws on your right to keep animals are combined with your responsibilities for timely vaccinations, and are combined, as always, in a bizarre manner.

Mini-Zoo

Anna G, Bunny Boss, 8 years, 2 cat (Fantik and Blackи) and the parrot Roman

Apartment building, separate apartment, 5 floor

Photos from personal archive

You rarely meet a rabbit in the city, but in private houses it is still found as a pet. The decorative rabbit the Boss could (and already seemed to be walking towards this) end his life by suffocating in a plastic bag in which some drug addict kept him. Anna G.'s girlfriend managed to snatch a bag of an almost asphyxiated animal from the hands of an asocial type. Or withdraw in a civilized way, history is silent. In general, this is how Anya became the owner of the Boss.

“What everyday problems? Mostly chewed wires. Boss is physically healthy, like an Olympian, although we don’t have health insurance, we pay for each visit. Usually it’s no more than $100, we take him for preventive examinations about once a year, the doctors say all this time that he is completely healthy. Cats also need annual vet visits (vaccinations, etc.). The big problem is the nightly runs. But this is a personal problem, not covered by law, and should not cause problems. One day, however, a neighbor complained about the sounds at night, but it soon turned out that she herself had a dog and a cat, and she just wanted to get to know each other better. Loud traffic in the bedroom is a real problem, so I just close the doors at night.

The cost of vaccinations and their schedule depends on the specific veterinarian. Still have the option of free vaccinations. City authorities through non-profit organizations provide.

For example, not far from us Pet Shop, where on certain days you can bring your pets and get free or very affordable examinations and vaccinations. But personally, I haven’t used anything like this yet, because such vaccinations are often done during working hours (for the owner). You just need to follow the announcements."

Read also on ForumDaily:

Rules for walking dogs that you might not know

How to import a dog in the USA

What you need to know if you want to have a pet in America

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