Animal Abuse Could Soon Become a More Serious Crime in New York

A New York lawmaker is looking to increase penalties on those who hurt innocent animals.

If State Senator James Tedisco of Ballston Lake gets his way, animal abusers may find themselves immediately behind bars.

Last week, Tedisco introduced legislation that would mandate those charged with animal cruelty be held on bail. Currently, due to the state's bail reform laws, those charged with neglecting, abusing, fighting, or killing animals can only be released on appearance tickets.

Said Tedisco:

We have an obligation as a government to protect all members of our family, including those who have no voice. Having a companion animal is not a right, it’s a privilege, but our pets and people have a right to be safe from abuse and neglect.

The proposal was put forth shortly after a Bronx man poured lighter fluid on a dog's crate and set it on fire at a church parking lot in Albany. The dog, a year old female pit bull, did not survive.

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Newsweek reports Albany Police arrested 34-year-old Christopher Maxwell and charged him with aggravated cruelty to animals, which is a felony. But he was released on an appearance ticket.

Tedisco expressed outrage that Maxwell was able to walk.

The shocking and extremely disturbing torture and murder of a puppy who was allegedly set ablaze in Albany by this depraved individual not only highlights the need to strengthen our state’s animal cruelty laws but also is yet another example of New York’s broken so-called ‘criminal justice reform’ laws and the failed bail law that’s created a revolving door of danger and disaster.

Should the proposal be adopted, Tedisco says protections for people and pets would increase. It would allow judges the ability to hold offenders they deemed dangerous while doubling the jail time for those found guilty of abusing animals.

The legislation would also require all animal abusers to have psychiatric evaluations and be added to a statewide registry, much like the sex offender registry, which would ban those individuals from owning an animal ever again.

Going After New York's Bail Reform Law

Tedisco also is eying a repeal of the state's recently enacted bail reform laws. He argues New York is the only state that strips judges of their power to determine whether or not a person should be given bail or not.

He, alongside Republicans Joe Griffo, Georg Borello, Mario Mattera, and Pamela Helming, wants to see the law repealed. The bill is currently in the Codes Committee.

Said Tedisco, "The scales of justice are now tipped in favor of criminals as crime victims and our beloved companion animals have become the forgotten New Yorker."

WIBX has reached out to Senator Tedisco to welcome onto Keeler in the Morning for a more in-depth discussion.

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