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Steuben Legislature presents proposed Animal Abuser Registry; public hearing set after committee review
Summary
The Legislature presented a draft local law to create an online "Animal Abuser Registry" that would require people convicted of enumerated animal-cruelty offenses to register for seven years (lifetime after a second conviction), prohibit registry-listed people from possessing companion animals, and impose registration fees and misdemeanors for violations. Legislators sent the draft to the Public Safety & Corrections Committee for further review.
Steuben County legislators on Feb. 23 presented Local Law Tentatively No. One, a draft ordinance to establish an online Animal Abuser Registry for people convicted of specified animal-cruelty offenses.
The draft lists Agriculture & Markets and Penal Law offenses as qualifying crimes, requires people convicted to register with the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office within five days of release or judgment, and generally keeps names on the registry for seven years after release or judgment, with lifetime registration after a second conviction. The registry would appear on the Sheriff’s Office web page and allow shelters and pet dealers to check prospective adopters. The draft also prohibits registered individuals from owning, possessing or having custody of companion animals and sets a one-time $125 registration fee with a fee-waiver process.
Michael Hopkins, executive director of the Finger Lakes SPCA, told the Legislature the county is facing "a crisis in Steuben County; last year we had 22 rescue cases which was double the number we had in 2024. A total of 124 animals were taken," and said a registry would be an important tool for shelters and law enforcement.
Committee-level questions during the presentation focused on legal and operational details. Legislator Jack Thew recommended clarifying the draft’s language so it refers to a "conviction" rather than a looser "violation." Legislator Deborah Logsdon raised privacy concerns and asked whether the registry could conflict with record-sealing provisions such as the New York Clean Slate Act; she asked, "will publishing personal information violate any privacy laws?" County Attorney Timothy Rosell said he would review the draft language, sealing and privacy implications, and how prosecuting agencies would notify the Sheriff’s Office.
After discussion, a motion to table the local law for further review by the Public Safety & Corrections Committee carried. A public hearing on the draft local law was scheduled in the resolution text for March (date as presented in the draft).
