This week, in the wake of some recent arrests for animal abuse in New York City, we asked readers for their opinion on the matter and whether they believe the punishment for animal abuse is adequate under current laws.

 

The felony cruelty statute, governed under New York Agriculture and Markets Law (“AML”) 353a, is defined as an unclassified felony, which under the penal law considers it an e-felony. AML 353a specifically states that the maximum sentence that can be imposed is a two-year definite sentence, which means the sentence is served in a jail, not a prison and there is no post-release supervision.

 

General provisions governing fines are found in Penal Law (section 80.00(1)(a)). The same is true for the misdemeanor cruelty statute AML 353, which explicitly states that it is a Class “A” misdemeanor.

 

According to the Office of the Bronx District Attorney, if a defendant were convicted of a felony or misdemeanor in an animal abuse case, the DA could request an order of non-ownership be included as part of the sentence, as well as a request to place the defendant on the NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene animal abuse registry.

 

“I think if someone kills a dog they should get [jail] time just like they had killed a person; that’s where I stand. I don’t think they would investigate it like a homicide; they’re probably busy with so many other things. They hardly solve our crimes. It’s good that they [NYPD] have a unit to investigate stuff like that. I never knew that.”

Grant Highsmith,

Bedford Park

“I don’t think the ASPCA and the police are doing enough because there’s so many animals being abused. There’s a lot of cats and dogs in the street. You call and they don’t even come to get them. They don’t do enough; that’s bad. They need to spend more money.”

Nelson Morales,

Pelham Bay

“Regarding animal cruelty, I feel like if you’re going to let an animal into your home, it’s like birthing a child, so you’re supposed to take care of that animal just like you would take care of a child. If you’re not going to do that, there’s no reason for that person to have an animal and they should give it up for adoption. I’ve seen some dogs let loose on the street. The authorities aren’t doing enough when we reach out for help. They don’t do anything.”

Adine Parker,

Baychester

“What’s going on is I see a lot of teens teaching their dogs to chase squirrels and kill them, and they chase cats, and it goes on a lot in this area. I like to walk my dog on the leash and I respect people’s privacy. I don’t let my dog go up to people, but some people have dogs that attack other dogs because they let them go. People should be more aware of their own dogs. They have a police station right there on the first floor; they’re useless.”

Tommy Rodriguez,

Baychester

“Cell phone [videos] definitely generate more reports of all kinds of [animal abuse] activities. I also think there is more awareness of the way that animals feel pain; hence the rise in ‘raised humanely’ certifications on meat and poultry items at the grocery stores. I think in some high-crime neighborhoods, the NYPD may feel the need to deprioritize animal crimes, and the ASPCA is badly underfunded.”

Mary O’Shaughnessy,

Wakefield

 

Animal Cruelty Complaints and Arrests
January 1, 2025 – June 30, 2025
Precinct	Complaints	Arrests
001	1	0
005	0	0
006	0	0
007	2	0
009	2	1
010	0	0
013	2	1
014	1	1
017	2	2
018	3	0
019	6	2
020	1	1
022	1	0
023	15	1
024	2	2
025	2	0
026	2	0
028	0	1
030	2	4
032	2	0
033	1	0
034	3	2
040	12	5
041	1	1
042	8	2
043	6	0
044	18	5
045	0	0
046	6	2
047	6	1
048	12	1
049	3	2
050	1	2
052	3	4
060	3	2
061	0	0
062	2	0
063	4	1
066	0	0
067	10	1
068	0	0
069	4	0
070	0	1
071	4	0
072	0	0
073	3	5
075	8	4
076	2	0
077	2	0
078	5	1
079	0	1
081	3	0
083	2	0
084	0	0
088	1	0
090	3	0
094	2	0
100	4	0
101	9	3
102	2	1
103	5	2
104	10	0
105	3	1
106	1	1
107	4	0
108	1	0
109	6	4
110	2	0
111	0	0
112	4	1
113	1	2
114	7	3
115	2	2
116	0	2
120	6	2
121	2	0
122	2	0
123	3	0
Total	258	83

According to the NYPD, there 258 animal cruelty complaints and 83 arrests made citywide from January 1 to June 30. See below breakdown per precinct.

 

Norwood News recently reported on a severe animal abuse case in Belmont where several undernourished and abused dogs were found inside an apartment following a report of animal cruelty witnessed by a neighbor, and on a dog that was reunited with its owner after it was stolen on the subway while its owner was sleeping.

Citywide, there were 258 complaints of animal cruelty during the same timeframe and 83 arrests.  In July, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced an investment of $1 million in Animal Care Centers to increase capacity and hire more staff after they stopped taking in more animals due to capacity constraints.

 

On Sept. 13, hundreds of people marched in Manhattan for animal liberation during an Animal Rights rally.

A Queens man was recently charged for dragging a dog down a street and later setting it on fire in July. Meanwhile, John Debacker, a Long Island-based animal rescue activist, recently posted how an 18-year-old youth who was caught on video hitting and dragging a cat with a rope around its neck but avoided any serious consequences for his actions.

 

He reportedly avoided jail time and instead received 18-week supervised probation, despite the judge acknowledging his “sadistic” behavior.

To read some of our related coverage on this topic, click here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

 

*Síle Moloney contributed to this story.