SEN. FARLEY REPORTS SENATE HOLDS 6TH ANNUAL ANIMAL ADVOCACY DAY AND PASSES ANIMAL PROTECTION MEASURES

State Senator Hugh T. Farley (R, C, I – Schenectady) announced that he and his colleagues in the New York State Senate participated in the Legislature’s sixth annual Animal Advocacy Day and passed legislation to further protect animals and people from harm and abuse. This year’s event brought together lawmakers, law enforcement, and hundreds of pet owners and advocates to raise awareness of important animal issues.

The bills passed today include:

- S98A would require certain university research facilities who use dogs and cats for research purposes to offer them for adoption through private placement or a non-profit animal rescue and shelter organizations.

- S7394A would extend protections to the pets of victims of domestic abuse by giving the court discretion to forbid contact between the abuser and any pet that is cared for by the victim.

- S1795 would make it a misdemeanor if anyone allows a minor under the age of 16 years old to witness or attend an animal fighting event. This crime would be punishable by imprisonment of up to one year, a fine of up to $1,000, or both.

- S3451 would prevent animal abuse by raising the penalty for subsequent acts of cruelty (i.e torturing, killing, or failing to provide sustenance to an animal) which occur within five years of a prior Class E felony conviction.

- S4877 would require municipalities to try and notify owners of a deceased animal if the death occurred on a highway. Under the provisions of this bill, if the animal has a tag with the family’s contact information, a license number, or has a identification chip to scan, the state should make a reasonable attempt to notify the family using the contact information/chip registration as well as the issuer of the license.

- S2102 would increase the penalties for keeping a companion animal in a vehicle during times of extreme hot or cold temperatures without proper ventilation or other protection. Extreme temperatures can put animals in imminent danger of death or serious physical injury. This measure would be punishable by an increased fine of $250-$500 for the first offense (raised from $50-$100), and $500-$1,000 for a second and subsequent violations (raised from $100-$250).

- S79 would prohibit people who are convicted of animal cruelty from working in positions that place them in direct control of animal care, such as animal shelters.

- S6264 would exempt dog license fees for deployed active military members’ dogs.

- S3321 would allow domestic companion animals to board any commuter transportation operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) in the event of a state of emergency and evacuation.

The bills have been sent to the Assembly.