Animal Welfare

ASPCA Animal Medical Center

The New York ASPCA houses a full-service animal hospital, behavior center, adoption facility, and Humane Law Enforcement Department.

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Bideawee Pet Adoption Center on East 38th Street

Adoption Centers at Bideawee Manhattan Location: 410 East 38th Street, New York, NY 10016 866-262-8133 ManhattanAdoptions@bideawee.org

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NYC Dog Laws

The most common dog laws in New York City are:

• Dog license: Dogs living in NYC must have a license from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Licenses must be renewed annually. In addition to being licensed, guard and service dogs must be registered. You must report losses, thefts, and transfers of ownership of a guard dog within five days. Guard dogs must wear both a dog license tag and a guard dog tag issued by the City on their collar at all times.
• Dog leash law: A person who owns or controls a dog may not allow it to be in any public place or in any open or unfenced field abutting a public place, unless the dog is effectively restrained by a leash or chain no more than six feet long.
• Canine waste law: Each person who owns or controls a dog must remove any feces left by that dog on any sidewalk, gutter, street, or other public area and dispose of it in a legal manner. The person may remove the feces and carry them away with him/her for disposal in a toilet or their own litter basket. The feces may also be placed in a non-leaking sealed bag or container and deposited in a DSNY litter basket. The provisions of this law do not apply to a guide dog accompanying any blind person.
• Animal nuisance law: Each person who owns or controls a pet shall not allow the animal to commit a nuisance on any public or private premises used in common by the public, or any area of a building abutting a public place.

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Rescuing hurt birds

The Wild Bird Fund is a local organization that will take any sick or injured bird – including pigeons – for no charge. They will not come to the bird; they require the person finding the bird to bring the bird to them. They’re located at 565 Columbus Avenue, north of 87th Street and are open 7 days a week, 9am – 7pm.  

This is a helpful resource for when birds need help and how to collect them to bring them to the Wild Bird Fund: wildbirdfund.org/how-to-help/rescue. WBF asks people who find injured birds to drop them off at WBF and to call them at 646-306-2862 or email if you’re not sure what to do.