Give Boarded Pets a Lifeline When Their Caretaker Disappears

Final signature count: 5,178

5,178 signatures toward our 30,000 goal

Officers in Dothan, Alabama forced their way into a grooming business and found dead cats and abandoned animals inside. The owner had simply stopped showing up.^1,2 A year earlier in upstate New York, 21 dogs died at a boarding kennel after the operators neglected their care. Criminal charges eventually followed — and the primary operator was sentenced to probation.^3,7 The animals were already gone.

These are not isolated incidents. They are the predictable result of a gap in the law that no state has fully closed.

The Law Has Almost Nothing to Say

Pet owners who lost dogs in the New York case quickly ran into a hard truth: companion animals are classified as property under most state statutes, which limits both criminal accountability and civil recourse.⁶ But the deeper problem isn't just what happens after the fact. It's that pet businesses in most states face no requirement to plan for emergencies at all. No designated backup. No authorized person empowered to take custody if an owner is hospitalized, arrested, or simply walks away. By the time authorities are alerted, animals can already be dead.

A dog locked in a boarding kennel cannot call for help. A cat in a grooming cage cannot signal distress to the outside world. They depend entirely on the humans entrusted with their care — and, when those humans fail, on whatever protections the law provides. Right now, in most of the country, those protections are nearly nonexistent.

Some States Are Starting to Move

The deaths in New York moved families to demand change. Affected pet owners called directly for stronger oversight and clearer standards, pushing the issue into legislative channels.⁴ New York state lawmakers responded by introducing proposals to regulate boarding facilities more strictly.⁵ It is an important first step — but dozens of states still have no licensing requirements specific to boarding or grooming, and far fewer address what happens to animals when an owner suddenly cannot or will not fulfill their duties.⁵

A Simple Requirement That Could Save Lives

The fix is concrete and low-burden. Before a grooming salon, boarding kennel, or doggy daycare accepts a single animal, the owner should be required to designate an emergency caretaker — someone authorized to immediately assume custody if the owner becomes incapacitated, faces arrest, or abandons the business. State legislatures and business-licensing agencies already have the authority to make this a condition of operating. It requires no new bureaucracy, just a named person and a clear line of responsibility.

The cases in Alabama and New York show what happens when that requirement doesn't exist. Animals suffer. Families grieve. Operators face charges months or years later — if at all. A designated emergency caretaker doesn't guarantee perfect outcomes, but it means there is always someone legally authorized to step in before the worst happens.

Sign the petition now to urge state legislatures and business-licensing agencies across the country to require pet businesses to name an emergency caretaker before accepting animals into their care.