Statute · New York Agriculture & Markets Law

N.Y. Agric. & Mkts. Law § 353-f — Companion animal piercing and tattooing prohibited

N.Y. Agric. & Mkts. Law § 353-f

Type: Statute
Source: New York Agriculture & Markets Law
Jurisdiction: New York
Current through: Nov 5, 2026 (NY Senate Open Legislation)

§ 353-f. Companion animal piercing and tattooing prohibited. 1. No person shall pierce or cause to have pierced a companion animal unless such piercing provides a medical benefit to the companion animal. Such piercing shall be performed by a licensed veterinarian or under the supervision of a…

Citator

N.Y. Agric. & Mkts. Law § 353-f — Companion animal piercing and tattooing prohibited is in force in the current edition of the Code, and nothing recorded condemns it.

2. No person shall tattoo or cause to have tattooed a companion animal unless such tattoo:

(a) is done in conjunction with a medical procedure for the benefit of the companion animal and to indicate that such medical procedure has been done, provided that such tattoo is not for design purposes; or

(b) is done for the purpose of identification of the companion animal and not for design purposes, and such tattoo includes only such numbers and/or letters allotted by a corporation that, in the regular course of its business, maintains an animal tattoo identification registry.

3. For the purposes of this section, "tattoo" shall mean a mark on the body made with indelible ink or pigments injected beneath the outer layer of the skin.

4. Tattooing done in conjunction with a medical procedure for the benefit of a companion animal that indicates that such medical procedure has been done shall be performed by a licensed veterinarian or under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian.

5. Any person who knowingly violates the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a violation punishable pursuant to the penal law.