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Your pets are not cars: You now can’t lease them

New York has become the third state to ban pet leasing following legislation signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday.

ALBANY - New York has become the third state to ban pet leasing following legislation signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday.

The new law prohibits pet dealers from using cats or dogs as security for financing agreements, a practice that "preys on people who cannot afford companion animals," according to a memo attached to the recently signed bill.

"Many do not understand they are entering into a lease agreement for an animal for multiple months," read the memo. "In the process, these individuals are forced to pay far more than they realized."

The practice was used to make high-priced animals appear cheaper, but often resulted in ballooning payments leading to the repossession of the animal, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals, which praised the new law.

"These deceptive, predatory financing arrangements benefit only the lending company and the pet seller — not the consumer, and certainly not the animal involved," Bill Ketzer, director of state legislation for the ASPCA's Northeast Region, said in a statement.

New York follows California and Nevada as the third state to bar the practice. The new law takes effective in 90 days.

The bill, which passed the state Legislature earlier this year, was sponsored by Sen. Carl Marcellino, R-Nassau County, and Assemblyman Matthew Titone, D-Staten Island.

"We are not talking about cars or furniture here," Titone said in a statement.

"These are our pets that we have opened our homes and hearts to. We cannot allow this practice, which commodifies our companions without much regard for their mental well-being - while also deceiving New Yorkers - to continue any longer."

Cuomo, in a statement, called the practice "unconscionable."

Many of the animals caught up in the scheme came from so-called puppy mills, large commercial breeding facilities.

Earlier this year, Sen. Michael Gianaris, D-Queens, introduced legislation that would bar pet stores from selling animals acquired from such facilities.

The bill would instead require dealers to sell animals from acquired from a humane society or similar rescue shelter.

California passed a similar measure last year.

The New York bill hasn't passed the state Legislature, though. The Legislature returns to the Capitol in January.

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