Colonie, NY Animal Ordinances: Animal Hoarding (2026)

New York criminalizes animal cruelty under Ag and Markets Law section 353, which reaches the deprivation of food, water, shelter, or necessary veterinary care typical of hoarding cases, as well as the failure to provide a sanitary environment. Section 353-c (aggravated cruelty) elevates intentional or depraved-indifference acts against companion animals to a Class E felony with up to two years in state prison. Colonie Animal Control Officers, working with the Colonie Police Department and Mohawk Hudson Humane Society, investigate hoarding complaints and may seize neglected animals under section 373 (custody of seized animals) with the cost of care charged to the owner. The Town has no numerical pet-limit ordinance, so hoarding determinations are functional rather than count-based: officers and courts evaluate whether the number of animals exceeds the owner's ability to provide adequate care under section 353. Civil forfeiture of animals to a humane society is available under section 374 after a security hearing in Town Court. Mental-health referrals are common in hoarding cases because of the well-documented psychiatric component, but they do not bar criminal prosecution.