In Niagara Falls, New York, two women were convicted of abusing animals. We don't know exactly what happened, but for a conviction to be handed down, it must've been serious.
In the state of New York, there is an animal abuse registry that keeps a record of people who have been convicted of cruelty. This is a vital step in the justice system, as it alerts animal adoption agencies to past abuse and bars them from giving an animal to someone who might harm it.
But the two women mentioned above failed to add themselves to the registry,
meaning they could have gotten ahold of another defenseless creature! This system of self-registering reveals a
dangerous loophole:
abusers are the only ones holding themselves accountable! Sign the petition if you want to change the system so that animal abusers are automatically added to the abuse registry in New York!While there is a penalty for failing to register, and these women now face misdemeanor charges, the time lag between conviction and registry still leaves a
window of opportunity for animal abusers to gain custody of another animal before they are found out! The registration process should be left in the hands of the criminal justice system so it can be completed without any delay.
We know from research that
animal abusers are often repeat offenders -- that's why this legal change is so vital! The
registration deadline is 5 days for convicted individuals, which
leaves plenty of time for them to hurt, neglect, or even kill another animal.Let's raise our voices together and ask that the New York State Legislature strengthen its animal protection laws!
Sign the petition asking that the animal abuse registration process be amended to close this loophole and stop abusers from getting their hands on more animals!