Animal cruelty cases stand among the most disturbing and gut-wrenching crimes prosecutors, police officers, and the public can encounter, yet under New York’s current animal abuse laws, the punishment for those who commit these atrocious acts rarely, if ever, fits the crime.
Despite the arrest and successful prosecution of animal abusers throughout New York, including many cases in my office, our state’s current criminal statute for protecting our beloved pets in effect seriously limits our ability to ensure true justice for animal abuse victims.