Suffolk considers penalties for those who break animal abuse registry rule

Animal abusers in Suffolk County may soon face penalties if they are caught possessing an animal after a conviction for that crime.

Suffolk Legis. Stephanie Bontempi (R-Centerport) is proposing legislation that would make it a Class A misdemeanor for people who have an animal while listed on the county’s animal abuse registry.

A Class A misdemeanor comes with a punishment of up to 1 year in jail and/or a fine of up to $1,000, said Roy Gross, chief of department for the Suffolk County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

In 2010, the county approved legislation to require people convicted of animal abuse offenses to register with the animal abuse registry overseen by the Suffolk County Police Department and the county district attorney's office, according to the code.

Those listed on the registry are not allowed to have an animal. After 10 years, if there are no further animal-related offenses, the person is removed from the registry, Bontempi said. As of November, there were 37 people on the registry.

While the law provides penalties for not registering with the animal abuse registry, also a Class A misdemeanor, there has been a loophole because there is no provision to punish offenders in violation of the no-animals prohibition while on the registry, Bontempi said.

“I knew this was something I wanted to address,” Bontempi said. “Animal abuse is hard to hear about and see, but if there is something you can do to help, do it. And I’m in a position to help.”

A public hearing before the legislature on the proposal will be held Tuesday at 2 p.m. at William H. Rogers Building, 725 Veterans Memorial Hwy., in the William J. Lindsay County Complex, Smithtown. The legislature could vote on the measure that day, Bontempi said.

The Suffolk County SPCA works with the district attorney's office, police and the county sheriff’s office to serve search warrants for those suspected of animal abuse, Newsday previously reported. In addition, they investigate cases of animal cruelty and neglect.

Gross said his organization has been pushing for harsher punishments and jail time for animal crimes.

“Anything we can do to increase the penalties on animal cruelty is a step in the right direction,” he said.

Bontempi said she consulted with the group while crafting the proposed legislation.

In January, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney unveiled “Operation Bloodhound.” It’s a partnership with the district attorney's office and the county's Police Warrant Squad to arrest defendants facing animal cruelty or neglect charges who have active warrants for bail jumping and missing court dates, Newsday previously reported.

At the time, Tierney said after the BEAST Unit — the Biological, Environmental and Animal Safety Team — was created three years ago to target such offenders, it remained a priority to make sure the cases were seen through and that animals are not being mistreated by repeat abusers.

John Di Leonardo, founder of the Riverhead-based animal advocacy group Humane Long Island, said the registry, the BEAST Unit and now Bontempi's legislation show Suffolk County is serious about addressing animal abuse.

“Any effort to strengthen animal cruelty laws is incredibly important,” Di Leonardo said. “This is one more tool to give prosecutors to protect animals in Suffolk County.”