Albany County, NY Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)

Adopted June 13, 2022, as Local Law No. 2-2022 and titled 'Lulu's Law: For the Promotion of Feline Adoption' (§ 110-40), this measure responds to a 2018 amendment to New York Agriculture and Markets Law § 374, which cut the mandatory shelter hold for unidentified stray cats from five days to three, but only in counties that formally opt in by local law (§ 110-41). Albany County did so: § 110-42 authorizes a duly incorporated humane society, a duly incorporated society for the prevention of cruelty to animals, or any animal shelter operated by or under contract with a city, town or village in Albany County to place a cat for adoption or transfer it to a rescue organization after just three days, rather than waiting the state default of five.

The shortened hold applies only to cats whose owners cannot be identified by collar, tag, microchip, tattoo or other identifying mark, an owned cat with identification is not affected and must still be held so the owner can reclaim it. Before release, the cat must be examined by a duly licensed veterinarian, and the details of that examination must be provided to the adoptive owner or rescue organization. The Legislature's stated rationale, recorded in § 110-41, is that Albany County's shelters carry large populations of cats awaiting adoption, that longer holds increase the risk of disease spreading through a shelter, and that sheltering cats longer than necessary costs the County money.

The law applies countywide to any covered shelter or rescue partner, not just the county-run shelter, and does not touch dogs or other species, which remain on the state's standard hold periods.