Allegany County adopts local law to create animal-abuse registry

The Allegany County Board of Legislators on Dec. 10 adopted a local law establishing a county animal‑abuse registry, a database lawmakers and supporters said is intended to track repeat offenders and support public-safety objectives.

The Public Safety Committee introduced the measure (Intro 45725), and Legislator Gretchen Hanchett, who led the discussion during floor debate, said the registry is limited to offenders with convictions. "This is a register, so there has to be a conviction," Hanchett said, adding that the work to design the registry took roughly a year and involved multiple stakeholders.

Support for the registry was voiced during the public-comment period. Linda Pruske, executive director of the SBCA serving Allegany County, told the board her organization "is in favor of an animal abuse registry" and requested the law explicitly address farm animals and the frequent occurrence of plea bargains or reduced charges in some cases. "Not all of our cases, even though they go to court, come out with the final charges sticking, or things get pled down," Pruske said, urging the board to consider repeat offenders who may avoid conviction in individual cases.

The board approved the local law by roll call; the transcript records the result as 14 ayes and 1 absent. Legislators noted some stakeholders hope the registry could be expanded or inform a future statewide effort, but Hanchett said statewide adoption would present additional legal and administrative hurdles.

Next steps include whatever administrative work is required to operationalize the registry, including the county attorney and relevant departments determining implementation details and public access rules. The local law’s effective date and the administrative procedures for listing and removing names were not specified in the floor discussion.