Oneida County Officials Propose Animal Abuse Registry

Oneida County leaders have proposed an Animal Abuse Registry that would track those convicted of animal abuse.

County Executive Anthony Picente, Sheriff Rob Maciol, and District Attorney Scott McNamara are joining forces to propose the animal abuse registry because they believe the current laws - which are part of agricultural and markets law, not the penal code - don't do enough to protect animals.

Under the proposal, which legislators will vote on next month, would require that anyone convicted of animal abuse in Oneida County will be put on a registry and will stay on the list for 15 years from the conviction. Repeat offenders would be put on the list for life. That list will be maintained by the Sheriff's office, and allow potential pet adopters or sellers to check to see if a customer is on the list. It would also make it illegal for a convicted abuser to own another animal in Oneida County.

District Attorney Scott McNamara tells CNYCentral.com, “It isn’t as much about punishing people, putting people in jail, it's about putting people on notice that you might not want to adopt a dog out to this person, you might not want to sell a dog to this person because they have a prior, and if that person does adopt a dog or buy a dog they will be breaking the county law."

Now let's hope the county legislators turn this proposal into law.

[h/t cnycentral.com]