Res 1496-2020

By Council Member Cabrera Whereas, New York State law defines animal cruelty as a situation where a person causes unjustified harm, pain, or suffering to an animal or neglects an animal's care by not providing it with proper food, water, medical care, or suitable shelter; and Whereas, The New York Police Department's (NYPD) Animal Cruelty Investigation Squad investigates reports of animal abuse or neglect; and Whereas, NYPD's Animal Cruelty Investigation Squad utilizes a mobile command center that is equipped with basic animal rescue tools, including portable cages, leashes, and devices to read identifying computer chips implanted in dogs and cats; and Whereas, In 2014, the New York City Council passed the Animal Abuse Registration Act, which requires any adult convicted of an animal abuse crime residing in New York City to contact the New York City Health Department to be added to the Animal Abuse Registry; and Whereas, Anyone on the Animal Abuse Registry is prohibited from owning, possessing, residing with, having custody of, or intentionally engaging in any physical contact with any animal for five years; and Whereas, Currently, in New York State, animal protection statues are contained in the Agricultural and Markets Law, where crimes against animals are treated as crimes against "property;" and Whereas, According to the Animal Legal Defense Fund, recognizing animals' status as property has created persistent barriers to protecting their lives and advancing their interests through the legal system; and Whereas, A.0634/ S.2623, introduced in 2019 and sponsored by Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal and Senator Andrew Lanza, seeks to promote understanding, awareness, and consistent enforcement and interpretation of animal crimes laws through amendments to the Agriculture and Markets Law and the Penal Law; and Whereas, Whereas, A.0342/ S.3867, introduced in 2019 and sponsored by Assembly Member Rosenthal and Senator Lanza, seeks to codify animal cruelty laws under the Penal Law; and Whereas, Animals deserve legal protections and a legal status that reflects their beings as creatures with the capacity to feel emotion; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the New York State Legislature to pass, and the Governor to sign, A.0342/ S.3867 in relation to the codification of animal cruelty laws under the Penal Law and A.0634/ S.2623 in relation to promoting awareness and enforcement of animal crime laws. LS #10378 04/05/2019 AR