A Republican New York City council member is attempting to strengthen penalties for animal abusers after several dog killings and other cases of animal cruelty in the city.
Vickie Paladino, who represents Queens, has started the process of introducing a resolution demanding Albany lawmakers increase prison time and the number of charges that can be prosecuted as felonies for cases of animal abuse.
"If they can do this to an animal, they can do this to a human being without as much as a blink of an eye," she told the New York Post. "I truly believe that If you could kill a poor innocent animal you could definitely kill a human being."
Under current New York state law, killing a companion animal is a felony and carries a maximum sentence of two years. However, offenders are often given lesser sentences, and other animal abuse crimes like torturing and mutilating an animal are only misdemeanors.
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Paladino tweeted on Monday she would like to see the state increase the number of animal cruelty crimes treated as felonies. Her office said it wants punishments raised to five years in prison and called for the creation of a public animal-abuser registry to track convicted offenders.
It could be weeks until the final resolution is taken to the floor for a vote.
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"We have created a culture of animal lovers. [Pets] have become people’s children," said Paladino, owns a New Zealand white rabbit named Diva and a bearded dragon lizard named Frank.
Queens Democratic Councilman Bob Holden said he would support Paladino's resolution and he hopes the laws could apply to the city’s long-suffering carriage horses.
"People who abuse defenseless animals should be charged with a felony," he told the New York Post.
It's unclear if the law would only apply to certain animals, such as pets, or all animals.
Paladino's office said it does not have the jurisdiction to alter the criminal code, but it is working with Staten Island Republican Assemblyman Sam Pirozzolo on legislation in Albany that could lead to changes at the state level.
"I love the idea very, very much. I will absolutely introduce legislation once we get a determination about what the best way forward is," Pirozzolo told the New York Post.
Pirozzolo said he believed the effort could receive support from Assembly Democrats, which is required for any bill to pass.
