Bill > S07350

This bill amends the New York Agriculture and Markets Law to expand the definition of aggravated cruelty to animals by adding two key provisions to the existing statute. First, the bill broadens the definition to explicitly include conduct intended to cause serious physical injury to a companion animal, in addition to extreme physical pain. Second, it adds a new provision that classifies the use of a weapon against a companion animal as aggravated cruelty. The bill also makes a minor linguistic change, replacing "he or she" with the gender-neutral term "such person" when describing the perpetrator. These modifications aim to provide clearer legal grounds for prosecuting severe cases of animal abuse by specifying additional circumstances that constitute aggravated cruelty. The changes are designed to offer stronger legal protections for companion animals and to recognize the severity of intentional, weapon-assisted, or particularly harmful acts of animal violence. The bill will take effect immediately upon becoming law.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S7350