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Animal Abuser Registry Law effective in Niagara County

Submitted

Fri, Dec 18th 2015 09:25 am

By Niagara County Sheriff's Office

In October 2015 the Niagara County Legislature passed a law, the Niagara County Animal Abuser Registry Law to provide a mechanism for businesses and private individuals to safely transfer an animal to a non-animal abuser. The law tasked the Niagara County Sheriff's Office with creating an online registry containing the names, dates of birth, photograph and address information of people who have been convicted of specific crimes relating to the abuse of animals and who are currently living in Niagara County.

The law requires people who have been convicted of these types of crimes to register with the sheriff's office within five days of their release from custody or the date of conviction if not incarcerated. In addition, people required to register must update that information within five days of an address change. The law further restricts animal ownership for people who appear on the Animal Abuser Registry and the transfer of animals to people who are on the registry.

Abusers who fail to register or who possess animals following a conviction face a misdemeanor charge and fines up to $5,000. It is also a violation for a Niagara County animal shelter, pet seller or any other individual to transfer an animal without first checking the purchaser through the Niagara County Animal Abuser Registry.

The registry is located on the Niagara County Sheriff's web page, www.niagarasheriff.com, and also contains links to other similar registries in New York state.

Any questions regarding the Niagara County Animal Abuser Registry can be directed to Administrative Captain Patrick Weidel at 716-438-3331.

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