NY Senator Promotes New Penalties For Police Animal Injuries

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A New York state lawmaker wants harsher penalties for causing harm to police animals.

Republican Sen. Catharine Young, of Olean in Cattaraugus (kat-uh-RAW'-gus) County, has scheduled a conference on Monday in Albany to promote legislation that would create a new felony offense for intentionally causing serious physical injury to a police work dog or police work horse. Her measure also would increase the offense of killing a police work dog or police work horse to a class D felony.

The bill is named Mitchell's Law for a Jamestown Police Department German shepherd that suffered life-threatening injuries while apprehending a suspect in a slaying last November.

The bill has passed through a Senate committee and has been added to the upcoming floor calendar.