Bone to pick with ban on paid dog-sitting

THE CITY IS barking up the wrong tree with a ban on pet-sitting, mayoral hopeful Nicole Malliotakis said Tuesday.

The Staten Island assemblywoman blasted the law that makes it illegal to take cash to care for furry friends, vowing to immediately stop enforcement and get the law changed if she’s elected.

“This is an unnecessary overreach by city government,” Malliotakis said at a press conference outside a lower Manhattan dog run. “On day one I will direct the Department of Health to no longer enforce these fines.”

As the Daily News first reported, a little known city code makes it illegal to board, feed, or groom animals for a fee without a kennel license — and the law does not allow

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those licenses to be issued for private homes.

It has ensnared popular pet sitting apps like Rover, which have taken over the task previously done by word of mouth or local bulletin boards of helping pet owners find sitters.

The GOP mayoral nominee said city officials have stepped in it with the ban.

Dog-sitters “have a love for animals and they’re doing something to raise a little extra cash. They’re not hurting anyone — in fact they’re helping, and the city is wrongfully targeting them,” said Malliotakis, who was joined at the press conference by her 12-year-old Chihuahua, Peanut (photo).

She said while she supported licensing for groomers and kennels, she would not enforce the regulation against individuals charging for pet-sitting on a small scale.

De Blasio spokeswoman Olivia Lapeyrolerie said the administration is “working with Council on legislation that won’t penalize New Yorkers for earning extra cash by looking after their friend’s pet.”

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