ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — The Albany County Legislature and the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society celebrated the passage of Lulu’s Law on June 21. Lulu herself even made a special appearance at the event.

Lulu’s Law was unanimously adopted by the Legislature on June 13.  The law allows stray cats to find homes quicker by reducing the time they are held in shelters from five days to three days if an owner can’t be identified by the collar, tag, microchip, tattoo, or other identifying marks.

“We rescued our cat Lulu from Mohawk Hudson Humane Society when she was a kitten many years ago,” said Chairman Andrew Joyce. “Loving companions like Lulu make our lives better and make families complete. We are so proud of the unanimous passage of Lulu’s Law to make it easier for kittens like Lulu find their forever homes faster.”

The Albany County Legislature said the law will help reduce the large population of cats in shelters, while enhancing their quality of life and minimizing the cost to shelter them. In 2021, the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society had 1,455 cats adopted. According to the New York State Animal Protection Federation, 69% of all cats that come into a shelter are either owner surrendered or stray cats. Of these, 93% are adopted.

To mark the passage of the Lulu’s Law, the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society is offering microchipping to all cats and dogs for $25 for the rest of June. Any member of the community qualifies for the offer and can make an appointment on the Humane Society’s website.