Rochester, NY – In recognition of Animal Advocacy Day, Assemblywoman Sarah Clark (D-136) and Assemblymember Jen Lunsford (D-135) are highlighting the urgent need to advance a comprehensive package of bills to strengthen animal protections across New York State. For countless New Yorkers, the issue of animal welfare is deeply personal and rooted in the understanding that pets are family, and that all animals deserve to be treated with care, dignity, and compassion. Yet, gaps in current law continue to leave too many animals vulnerable to abuse, neglect, and exploitation without sufficient accountability or preventative safeguards.

At the center of this legislative effort are Assemblywoman Clark’s bill, A10119 and Assemblymember Lunsford’s bill A3050. A10119 would establish a statewide animal abuser registry and require background checks for pet store and animal shelter licenses. This legislation is designed to prevent individuals with a documented history of animal cruelty from obtaining animals through commercial or adoption channels. By shifting the focus toward prevention, A10119 seeks to break cycles of abuse before they begin, ensuring that animals are not repeatedly placed in harm’s way and that bad actors are identified and restricted from future access.

A3050, or “Tucker’s Law”, would allow judges flexibility in their sentencing of the most egregious cases of animal cruelty by removing the existing 2-year maximum sentencing cap. Under current law, even in the worst instances of repeated, intentional, prolonged, and violent acts of animal abuse, judges are restricted to issuing a 2-year sentence should they seek a maximum sentence. Tucker’s Law allows for fairer outcomes in the most depraved of animal cruelty cases by giving judges the discretion to respond proportionately to the facts of each case. Tucker, a shepherd-mix, was one of two puppies fatally beaten, along with a third dog who lost his leg as a result of this abhorrent act of abuse in 2022. While three extreme cases of animal abuse were committed here, a maximum sentence of two years was all the current law afforded these lives. In these extreme instances of cruelty, where the harm inflicted on animals is particularly horrid, and the risk of repeat behavior is high, strengthening sentencing authority reinforces that acts of severe cruelty will be met with consequences that match their gravity, serving as a stronger deterrent against future abuse.

Additional legislation currently before the Legislature addresses key deficiencies in enforcement, strengthens penalties, and expands legal mechanisms to protect animals:

• A2019 (Rosenthal): Eliminates the requirement that injury be deemed “serious” in aggravated cruelty cases, ensuring that severe acts of abuse are recognized and prosecuted for the harm they cause.
• A7950 (Kassay): Increases penalties for the abandonment of animals, acknowledging the suffering and risk imposed when animals are left without care or shelter.
• A8551 (Dais): Restricts the performance of surgical devocalization procedures on dogs and cats, limiting inhumane practices carried out for convenience rather than medical necessity.
• A2555-A (McDonald): Establishes a civil remedy to hold owners and caretakers accountable for failing to provide proper care, expanding opportunities for timely intervention in cases of neglect.
• A5505 (Lupardo): Strengthens inspection authority for properties where animals may have been abandoned, enabling faster identification and response to dangerous conditions.

Together, these measures form a more comprehensive approach that prioritizes prevention, accountability, and humane treatment. They recognize that animal cruelty is not only a legal issue, but a moral one, and requires laws that both deter harm and reflect the compassion shared by communities across the state.

Assemblywoman Sarah Clark said, “I am always proud to stand up for animal rights and to fight for a future where every animal is treated with the care, dignity, and compassion they deserve. For so many New Yorkers, this issue is deeply personal. Our pets are family, and the thought of them being harmed, neglected, or abandoned is heartbreaking. This is about ensuring that every animal, especially those without a voice, is protected from cruelty and given a chance to live safely and humanely.

This package of legislation represents a meaningful step forward. It strengthens our laws, closes gaps that have allowed abuse to go unchecked, and ensures that those who commit acts of cruelty are held fully accountable. Advancing these bills is not just good policy, it is the right thing to do, and an important step toward building a more humane and just New York for all.”

Assemblymember Jen Lunsford said, “Cruelty to animals is a scourge on our community. And we know that those who would harm an animal are more likely to also cause harm to a human. The cycle of violence must be broken. That is why I am fighting to make sure that the criminal justice system has the tools necessary to punish those who engage not just in isolated instances of animal cruelty, but in a recurrent pattern of violent and abusive behavior. Tucker’s Law, which gives our judges discretion to sentence those responsible for the most heinous acts of animal cruelty with sentences that better meet the severity of their crimes, along with the other bills we are advocating for in this Animal Advocacy Day package, will allow us to deter these acts of violence and hold perpetrators accountable. We must fight for the welfare of our animal companions because their well-being is our well-being.”

Alice Calabrese, President and CEO of Lollypop Farm, the Humane Society of Greater Rochester said: “Animal Advocacy Day is a reminder that animals deserve protection from harm and that our laws must continue to evolve to ensure their safety and justice. Lollypop Farm is proud to stand with lawmakers and advocates working toward closing critical gaps in New York’s animal welfare system. By focusing on proactive prevention and accountability, humane law enforcement agencies will be able to intervene before harm occurs and ensure that those who commit acts of cruelty and neglect are held responsible.”

Reno Di Domenico, Vice President and Chief of Law Enforcement at Lollypop Farm said: “Humane law enforcement officers in New York are working with outdated cruelty laws that limit our ability to fully protect animals and hold offenders accountable. Strengthening penalties through ‘Tucker’s Law’ and establishing a statewide Animal Abuse Registry are critical steps toward modernizing enforcement and ensuring meaningful consequences for those who commit acts of cruelty.”

Maggie Cain of the advocacy group Voiceless of Verona Street said, “These bills must be finally passed and made into laws that will actually be enforced. Animal cruelty and abandonment of pets unfortunately seems to be on the rise. These animals only have our voices to advocate for them. We can’t wait another year for these bills to pass. The time is now.”

Andrea M. Catone, President of the Animal Service League said, "These bills represent meaningful progress toward stronger protections for animals across New York. From increasing penalties for cruelty and abandonment to improving accountability and oversight, this legislative package reflects a growing recognition that animal welfare must be taken seriously. While there is still work to be done, advancing these measures – many of which have already gained traction in the Senate – is an important step in ensuring animals are treated with the care and dignity they deserve.”