Would you board your dog or cat overnight if you knew your pet would not have 24-hour supervision?

(Ryan McVay, ThinkStock)
(Ryan McVay, ThinkStock)
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Currently in New Jersey, unless you ask your veterinarian or staff at an animal hospital you might not know their policy. Several lawmakers want a law that requires written notification if a boarded pet will not be subject to supervision at all times.

"Let's say it's a large facility. You may assume since they are taking animals overnight that there will be somebody there and often times as we all know assumptions are the wrong way to go and this merely requires that that information be posted and that that information be given to pet owners," said State Sen. James Holzapfel (R-Brick).

Legislation (S-903) sponsored by Holzapfel that would require the written notification was approved Thursday by the full State Senate. An identical bill (A-1186) passed the full General Assembly in June and the measure now heads to Gov. Chris Christie's desk for his consideration.

"Many animals are a part of the family. They're a family member and if it was a child that you were leaving behind, obviously you'd want to know what kind of care it was going to receive," Holzapfel said.

The information allows pet owners to make an informed decision about whether or not they are comfortable leaving the pet overnight and it prevents veterinarians from misleading customers. Holzapfel said it was that simple.

"Better communication on the part of veterinarians will provide peace of mind for customers, and help prevent similar accidents in the future," said bill co-sponsor, Assemblyman Dave Wolfe (R-Brick) in a press release statement.

The measure is called, "Betsy's Law." It was drafted following the death of a dog after a minor medical procedure. Betsy was left overnight and kept in crate unsupervised. She was later found hanged.

"This legislation will hopefully prevent other pet owners from experiencing the same tragic outcome as Betsy did when leaving their pet at a facility overnight," said co-sponsor, Assemblyman Greg McGuckin (R-Brick) in the same press release.

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