Nassau County animal abusers could face jail time and hefty fines, and be prohibited from owning a pet in the future under proposed new legislation.
County Legislator John Ferretti introduced the bill, which would also double the time an abuser is listed on the offender registry, on Wednesday outside the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter in Wantagh.
First-time offenders will remain on the registry for 10 years and repeat abusers will remain on the list for 20 years, the legislation proposes.
Animal abusers across Nassau County could face serious jail time and possibly be banned from owning pets under new legislation proposed this week. Dennis A. ClarkThe bill also toughens restrictions for all convicted abusers on the offender registry — which is currently 16 people — by making it a misdemeanor to own animals, according to the Nassau SPCA.
If they are caught owning a pet, they would face a year behind bars and be slapped with fines of up to $1,000.
“I feel that if you have abused an animal, you have lost the right to own an animal,” Ferretti said.
“This is more than just a legal issue, it’s a moral issue.”
Earlier this month, neighboring Suffolk County passed a similar law, barring convicted animal abusers from owning pets and enacting the same penalties that Nassau has proposed.
County Legislator John Ferretti announced a landmark county legislation that would double the time an abuser is listed on the offender registry outside the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter in Wantagh, Wednesday. vvvita – stock.adobe.comAs for the timing of the legislation, “great minds think alike,” Ferretti told The Post.
He explained that his bill was drafted months before Suffolk’s was passed — but after seeing their legislation, the legislator implemented some of their law into his proposal.
“We have an obligation to protect our family, and that’s what our pets are, they’re voiceless members of our family, and we will continue to do everything we can to protect them,” he said.
First-time offenders will be on the registry for 10 years, while repeat offenders will be on the list for 20 years. Dennis A. ClarkGary Rodgers, a detective with the Nassau SPCA, echoed Ferretti’s sentiments and pointed to data that suggests serial killers and mass murderers start with abusing pets.
Rodgers stressed the importance of stopping the sickos hurting animals before they move onto human victims — and said he believes this crackdown can make a difference.
“This bill is very important,” Rodgers said.
“It gives us more teeth in the law that we need.”
Ferretti’s legislation is expected to be voted on during the legislative session on June 9.
