Dutchess County residents who have been convicted of certain animal abuse crimes will have to register with the sheriff's office.

Their name will be added to an animal abuse registry and they will be prevented from owning or residing with an animal for 15 years.

That's according to a local law that was passed in an unanimous vote by the county Legislature Monday night. They also unanimously passed a tethering regulation law that restricts how a dog may be tied up outside a residence.

Legislative Chairman Gregg Pulver said in a press release he and his wife have rescued 10 huskies who had been without food and water for days as they were severely abused and tethered.

"These two proposals go a long way in advancing animal welfare in Dutchess," Pulver said.

A violator's first offense of the tethering law would receive a penalty of a $250 fine. A second offense is subject to a $500 fine. A third offense has a $1,000 fine. If someone violates the law a fourth time, they will be required to register with the sheriff's office as part of the animal abuse registry.

As of Monday, there were 14 counties with animal abuse registries. Legislator Thomas Keith, R-Town of Poughkeepsie, said the registries could prevent abusers from adopting or purchasing pets.

"The statewide total is 147," Keith said in the meeting, not including New York City. "These registries are not decades old. Most have only been enacted a few years ago. In the past ten years, Dutchess District Attorney has had 133 cases of animal abuse. How is this something we don't need in our county? I wholeheartedly support it."

If a resident fails to register, they will face a misdemeanor charge and face up to a year in jail and a fine up to $2,000. An offender who owns or lives with an animal could face a misdemeanor charge, up to a $5,000 fine and up to a year in jail. If an animal shelter or pet store allows the adopter or sale of a pet to an offender, they can face a violation charge and a fine up to $5,000.

Kristofer Munn, D-Red Hook, said the registry will take effect immediately. The tethering law won't go into effect until 90 days after filling with the secretary of state.

"An animal abuse registry for those convicted of mistreating animals is a common sense proposal I am happy to support," Munn said. "In the future, I hope the state will pass similar legislation to make things consistent across all counties and centralize the registry."

Lynne Meloccaro, Dutchess County SPCA's executive director, said the two laws would help the organization's mission to prevent cruelty.

"...we often find most of our efforts and resources spent on dealing with the consequences of cruelty after it has been committed," Meloccaro said. "We would much rather focus on the prevention aspect instead and stop such horrors from happening in the first place."

Ryan Santistevan: rsantistev@poughkeepsiejournal.com; 845-437-4809; Twitter: @NewsByRyan_.

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