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Politics & Government

Suffolk Establishes Public Animal Abuser Registry

County becomes the first in the country to establish a public animal abuse registry.

Suffolk County has officially become the first county in the nation to pass a bill to establish a public animal abuser registry. Authored by the legislature's majority leader, Jon Cooper, D-Lloyd Harbor, the bill creates the first publicly searchable database of convicted animal abusers, which Cooper said he hopes officially exists within the next few months.

The law, which must be signed into law or vetoed in the next 30 days by County Executive Steve Levy, requires convicted abusers to register their names, addresses and a photograph with the registry. Additionally, each offender must pay an annual fee of $50 for the five years that they must register with the database after being convicted. The database will be run by the Suffolk County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and will be funded by abusers' registration fees and private donations.

"This bill will provide the ammunition needed to fight the ongoing war against animal abusers," said Suffolk County's Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Chief Roy Gross. "Let Jon's law be a model for other municipalities, not only in New York State, but throughout the nation."

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Previous counties across the nation have tried for years to set up a similar registry, but Suffolk is the first to have the law pass. Stephan Otto, the director of legislative affairs at the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF), a non-profit animal rights organization, said he believes that previous attempts have failed due to funding concerns. Cooper, however, assures that Suffolk's registry will not spend any of taxpayers' dollars and will rely solely on abusers' registration fees and donations.

Other states also expressed concern over the fact that if these abusers' names were readily accessible, members of the public would harass abusers. Otto disagreed with this statement.

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"There is no right to privacy when it comes to criminal history," Otto said. "There are other ways for people to find out this information if they really want to know it. This just makes the process more efficient."

Cooper added, "I think that the public has the right to know if their next door neighbor has been torturing dogs."

Cooper has taken the process even further by already drafting up a follow-up bill, which will require pet stores, animal shelters and breeders to check into the identity of those seeking to purchase a pet before selling to them. The bill will be voted on next month.

So far the reception to the bill has been overwhelmingly positive. Cooper said that other counties in New York State interested in creating similar bills have already contacted him with questions. The ALDF also applauds Suffolk's accomplishment.

"In story after heartbreaking story, abusers repeat their violent crimes against helpless animals, and often go on to victimize people as well," Otto said. "Suffolk County residents and their four-legged companions can breathe a little easier today, as they celebrate this historic vote for animals."

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