New York City is considering passing a bill that would allow pet owners to use paid sick leave to care for their animals.
The bill, introduced by Councilmember Shaun Abreu, would amend the existing Earned Safe and Sick Time Act, which currently allows time off for personal or family illnesses.
The provision would include both pets and service animals as awareness around mental health benefits associated with pet ownership gains momentum.
"Millions of New Yorkers have pets, so the impact could be quite wide," Abreu told Newsweek. "This City Council is full of pet lovers who care about mental health, so we are optimistic that it will earn the support it needs to pass."
As the bill makes its way through the city council, it's already received mixed reactions. Some are in support of the benefits while others are skeptical about the feasibility and potential for misuse.
"Good public policy encourages good behaviors," Abreu said. "In this case, we have an opportunity to use our existing sick time law to encourage pet ownership, which offers cascading benefits for our health and mental health. Keeping our pets healthy keeps us healthy, which is the whole purpose of having a sick leave law to begin with."
The timeline for when the new bill could pass varies, but typically, it can take several weeks to months for a decision to be made.
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