Nassau County officials have taken a tougher stance against animal abusers with a new law that bans them from owning pets and keeps them on a public registry for up to 20 years.
County Executive Bruce Blakeman signed the bill into law on July 10 at a news conference at the Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building in Mineola. The measure is co-sponsored by County Legislator John Ferretti, a Levittown native who is running for Town of Hempstead Supervisor in November as a Republican.
Blakeman said the bill ensures that people with a record of animal abuse in the county will not be allowed to own animals.
“If they have an animal and they're abusive, this takes away their right,” Blakeman said.
Joining Blakeman, Ferretti and Donnelly at the event were County Legislator Rose Walker, County Comptroller Elaine Phillips and District Attorney Anne Donnelly. Also present was Gary Rogers, board president of the Nassau County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, a Bethpage-based nonprofit organized to protect animals in the county from abuse and neglect.
According to Ferretti, people convicted of animal abuse are placed on a registry maintained by the SPCA and available on its website. The new law extends the amount of time an animal abuser remains on the registry from five years to 10 years for a first offense, and from 10 years to 20 years for subsequent offenses. Those on the registry will be prohibited from possessing an animal for the duration of their time on the list.
“No longer will people who have abused animals be able to own an animal or to possess an animal,” Ferretti said. “If you want to abuse an animal in Nassau County, you lose the right to have one in your possession.”
At the news conference, Donnelly thanked legislators Ferretti and Walker for working on the bill and providing prosecutors with another tool to hold animal abusers accountable.
“The more tools a prosecutor has in their toolbox, the better we are in our job,” Donnelly said, “and this just gives us more tools to work with when we have animal abuse cases, and it's unbelievable the number of abuse cases we get a year.”
Also in attendance was Candy Udell, president of Glen Cove-based London Jewelers. Outside of her business, Udell has volunteered with animal shelters across Long Island and said she has rescued over 10,000 animals. She has launched several animal-based organizations, including the Rescue Paw Foundation, a nonprofit that supports humane, no-kill shelters.
She thanked county officials for bringing the law into effect, calling it “a dream come true” for pets.
“The abuse and horrors that I see every day from what people do to animals is now hopefully going to be erased in Nassau County,” Udell said, “and I commend all these wonderful people around me for helping make this true.”
Also on July 10, officials gathered at the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter in Wantagh to announce a pair of adoption initiatives. In honor of National Kitten Day, the town is partnering with Peter’s Clam Bar in Island Park to offer a free $25 gift card to anyone who adopts a cat between Friday, July 11 and Friday, July 18. The event was announced by Town Supervisor Don Clavin, joined by Deputy Supervisor Dorothy Goosby, Councilman Thomas Muscarella, Town Clerk Kate Murray, Peter’s Clam Bar owner Butch Yamali, and several adoptable kittens.
Town officials also highlighted the ongoing “Summer of Love” Pet Adoption Program, which waives all adoption fees—excluding license fees—through August 31. The initiative aims to help more shelter pets find permanent homes during the busy summer season.
