Recently Enacted Legislation: Free Spaying and Neutering Services to Count towards Veterinarians’ Continuing Education

Governor Cuomo signed legislation that will allow veterinarians to provide free spaying and neutering services in lieu of self-instructional course work for their continuing education (CE) requirements. Allowing veterinarians to obtain CE credit by performing qualified spay/neuter surgeries is likely to increase the number of veterinarians willing to provide such services, resulting in positive net effects on the individual animals upon which surgery is performed, on the species as a whole through the reduction in unwanted births and overpopulation, and on shelters. This legislation was supported by the City Bar’s Animal Law Committee.