While the Parks Department's Phil Abramson told us on Wednesday he was "not familiar with any regulations about killing rats" in city parks, NYC the Blog has heard from PETA, and they seem more in the know. To recap: a video emerged recently of a dog hunting rats for sport in Washington Square Park, killing nearly 15 in one night. But is that legal, even if the city does have a rat problem?

The animal rights organization's Martin Mersereau said, "Setting dogs upon rats is depraved, sadistic, and entirely illegal. It constitutes an explicit violation of New York’s anti-cruelty laws." He noted that there are two sections in New York’s Agriculture and Markets Law that apply; one prohibits anyone from unjustifiably injuring, maiming, or killing an animal, and another prohibits fights between any animals.

Allegedly every species is protected by these laws, even a rat. Mersereau suggests calling the ASPCA if you witness a rat attack, and notes that rat-killing dogs aren't going to solve the city's ratdemic. We've contacted the Parks Department again to get their comment on this law... that they should probably be aware of?