In New York, dog owners might face criminal charges if their pets injure another animal, according to a newly proposed state bill.
The legislation, known as the “Penny Law,” was introduced by Congress member Jennifer Rajkumar. Its aim is to establish criminal offenses for negligent owners, such as “cruelty against animals due to neglectful treatment” and “fleeing the scene of animal attacks.”
This bill is named after a Chihuahua puppy named Penny, who was attacked by a pit bull on the Upper West Side last Saturday.
Penny, weighing just 16 pounds, suffered multiple puncture wounds in what was described as an ambush. A woman trying to rescue her was also bitten during the attack, as reported by PIX11.
It is believed that the same pit bull previously killed another dog in Central Park when it was found off-leash earlier this year, according to Rajkumar’s office.
The proposed bill would also impose strict penalties on those who frequently violate leash laws.
Rajkumar stated, “This lack of accountability has allowed many dog owners to let their pets attack others. The same owner often dismisses the behavior as just ‘a dog being a dog.’
The recent attacks have alarmed residents of the Upper West Side, prompting a community meeting at City Hall that drew hundreds of concerned citizens on Wednesday.
City Council member Gale Brewer has been working on similar local legislation and confirmed that the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office is investigating Penny’s case.
“People from all over the city, from East Harlem to Brooklyn, are here because they share the same concerns. There’s a dog attacking others, and nothing gets done about it,” Brewer expressed.
Under current state law, dogs are considered property, and the police typically get involved only if a person is harmed or if the owners intervene. State legislative member Linda Rosenthal is advocating to change this classification to recognize dogs as “sentient beings.”
Rajkumar’s office pointed out that Penny’s unfortunate incident isn’t unique.
Just the day after Penny’s attack, a person and another dog were injured by an unleashed dog at Riverside Park. This year alone, around 1,300 reports have been filed with 311 regarding unleashed dogs.
In another incident, a German shepherd attacked a dog after its owner said he intended to put it on a leash. Rajkumar’s own team has faced attacks from the same dog twice.
Last year, there were reports about an unlicensed dog boarding operation that continued despite multiple complaints, with at least three dogs reportedly killed by an aggressive one.
As one distressed dog owner from Brooklyn lamented, “Every time I turned to someone for help, I was told there was nothing that could be done.”
An NYPD official noted previously that injuries or deaths caused by one animal to another are typically not treated as criminal matters.
