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General News: Rocky's Law to Protect Animals
June 08, 2015
Neuhaus signs Rocky’s Law on Friday morning
Legislation provides Orange County with some of stiffest animal cruelty laws in the U.S.
Goshen, N.Y. – Orange County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus on Friday signed Rocky’s Law, which will aggressively protect animals from abusive owners, at the Warwick Valley Humane Society.
Neuhaus was joined at the ceremony by District Attorney David Hoovler, Sheriff Carl E. DuBois and County Clerk Annie Rabbitt. Orange County Legislator John Vero (R-Chester), Town of Warwick Supervisor Michael Sweeton and Warwick Valley Humane Society president Suzyn Barron also attended the event.
“I think this law is going to have a real ripple effect,” Neuhaus said. “If you are abusing animals, there are going to be strong consequences in Orange County. It gives law enforcement another tool to fight animal cruelty and it sends a message that we will not tolerate it.”
Rocky’s Law is one of the toughest of its kind in the country. Anyone in Orange County convicted of animal abuse must register with the Sheriff’s office within five days of their conviction or after being released from jail if they are incarcerated. Not reporting convictions will be a misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail and a maximum fine of $2,000 for each day offenders fail to register. Abusers will stay on the registry for 15 years, but will be reinstated for life if they are convicted again for abusing an animal.
“I’m an advocate for prevention of animal cruelty,” DuBois said. “A law such as this is good for everybody. It’s a step forward, it’s aggressive and something the County looks forward to being involved with.”
Convicted animal abusers will be required to pay a $125 fee to cover any costs for maintaining Orange County’s registry and could be incarcerated for up to a year, and fined as much as $5,000, if they obtain another animal while included on the registry. In addition, any person who gives or sells the animal to the offender will face a maximum $5,000 fine. Orange County’s registry will include names and photos of convicted animal abusers. The County will also post links of animal abuse registries to neighboring counties.
“This law is just common sense. It’s good legislation,” Hoovler said. “Animal cruelty is horrific. It goes unreported, it’s under prosecuted, it’s difficult to prosecute because the primary witness is the animal. We do everything we can to seek justice for animals in Orange County that are victims of animal cruelty.”
Rocky’s Law was introduced by Orange County Legislator Michael Anagnostakis (R-Newburgh) in April and was passed by Orange County Legislators unanimously, 7-0, last month. It is named after an abused three-year-old Staffordshire Terrier from Newburgh, which had to be euthanized earlier this year because of its poor health. The dog was left outside for five weeks in winter weather while its owner was on vacation.
“First, I want to thank the County Executive for signing this law,” Anagnostakis said. “I authored and moved to pass “Rocky's Law” because it was high time we fought for the well-being of our animal friends. The passage of this law now means that our loved animals do not get into the hands of those that have proven they have the inhumane desire to harm them, and that helps make this a better County for all of us.”
For more information, contact Justin Rodriguez, Assistant to the County Executive for Communications and Media Relations at 845.291.3255 or [email protected].
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