Saturday, October 3, 2026
Nassau County officials are taking a tougher stance against animal abusers with a new law that bans them from owning pets and keeps their names on a public registry for up to 20 years. On July 10, the same day the bill was signed, Town of Hempstead officials gathered in Wantagh to promote a pair of pet adoption initiatives at the municipal animal shelter.
County Executive Bruce Blakeman signed the bill into law 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 that the bill, which took effect immediately, ensures that people with a record of animal abuse in Nassau 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 and Ferretti at the signing were County Legislator Rose Walker, District Attorney Anne Donnelly and Comptroller Elaine Phillips, as well as Gary Rogers, board president of the Nassau County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, a nonprofit headquartered in Bethpage.
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 for subsequent offenses.
Those on the registry are prohibited from owning an animal for the duration of their time on the list. According to the new law, anyone on the registry who is found in possession of an animal will be charged with a misdemeanor and could face a $1,000 fine and up to one year in jail.
“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.”
Donnelly thanked Ferretti and Walker for working on the bill, and for 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.”
Candy Udell, president of the Glen Cove-based London Jewelers and a guest at the news conference, has worked with roughly 20 animal shelters across Long Island, including Bideawee Animal Rescue, in Wantagh. Udell also launched the Rescue Paw Foundation in 2011, a nonprofit that supports humane, no-kill shelters.
She thanked county officials for creating the law, 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 partnered with Peter’s Clam Bar, in Island Park, to offer free gift cards to anyone who adopted a cat at the Wantagh facility between July 11 and 18. Town Supervisor Don Clavin was joined by Deputy Supervisor Dorothy Goosby, Councilman Thomas Muscarella, Town Clerk Kate Murray and Butch Yamali, the owner of Peter’s Clam Bar.
Town officials also highlighted the ongoing “Summer of Love” Pet Adoption Program, in which all adoption fees — excluding license fees — are waived through Aug. 31. The initiative aims to help more shelter pets find permanent homes during the busy summer season.
“I encourage everyone to come on down to the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter and remember to adopt, not shop, when looking for a family pet,” Clavin said.
