Committee moves to amend "Rocky’s Law" to bar registered animal abusers from obtaining pets

The Rules Committee moved to amend and restate Local Law No. 2 of 2015, known as "Rocky’s Law," after county attorneys identified a drafting gap that could allow registered animal abusers to obtain new animals. Legislator Genesis Ramos summarized the law's 2015 origin and said the District Attorney’s Office encountered an interpretation issue; County Attorney Christopher Borek said the legislative findings bar possession generally, but Section 6 currently prohibits continuation of possession of the animal present at the time of the offense and places obligations on providers to check the Animal Abuse Registry — it does not explicitly block a registered abuser from acquiring a new animal.

"There was no clear prohibition about having the actual defendants themselves obtaining a new animal," Borek said, and he proposed amending Section 6 to state that "any person currently registered cannot obtain or possess any animal." Committee members pressed for definitions and duration: Borek defined "animal" as typical pets, excluding farm animals for farmers and service animals, and Legislative Counsel Betsy N. Abraham explained registry timing and relief options, saying the registry contains required information "for a period of 5 years following his/her release from incarceration or if not incarcerated from the date of the judgment of conviction" and that judges retain authority to modify orders. Members, including Kathy Stegenga and Virginia Scott, expressed support for the amendment; the motion was carried with all in favor.