Brancoveanu and Anagnostakis discuss the need for the law
at the Walden Humane Society
WALDEN – Orange County Legislator Michael Anagnostakis wants to put teeth into animal abuse law by establishing an animal abuser registry in the county.
“Rocky’s Law,” named for a dog left outside during the winter in Newburgh for five weeks while the owner went on vacation resulting in the dog having to be euthanized, would impose restrictions on animal ownership by anyone convicted of animal abuse.
A “strike one” abuser would be barred from possession for 15 years. A “strike two” offender would be barred for life.
“We, in this country, view our pets as beloved family, so any time you get situations that arise with animal cruelty, it tugs at you,” Anagnostakis said on Thursday.
Victoria Brancoveanu, an attorney working with the Hudson Valley SPCA, knows firsthand about animal abuse. Her dog was run over by a lawn care serviceman, cutting off its paw. Daisy’s entire leg had to be amputated.
“He pled guilty to the animal cruelty charges but because it was his first crime, the judge let him off with just probation,” Brancoveanu said. “I think he is a prime example of somebody who needs to be on this registry because I don’t know if he is able to own a dog after this. He needs to not be able to own any animals going forward.”
Right now in the Hudson Valley, the counties of Rockland, and Westchester have similar registry laws, although Anagnostakis said they are not as strong as his will be if adopted.
On the state level, animal cruelty violations fall under the Agriculture and Markets law and typically carry up to one year in jail, a fine, and prohibition from owning an animal for a specified period of time.
