Following in the steps of multiple other counties, Nassau has also passed a statute that requires convicted animal abusers to register with a database. The law requires all persons 18 and older who are convicted of an animal abuse crime to register with the Animal Abuse Registry located with the Nassau County Police Department within five days of conviction or release from incarceration.
The offenders must pay a $100.00 annual fee to register, which is used to pay the administrative costs of maintaining the registry. Each registrant must provide their name, all aliases, address, and a photograph of him or herself to the registry. The registrant must be maintained for five years and any subsequent conviction will require the offender to stay registered for ten years from date of most recent conviction.
This law requires all people, regardless of whether or not they are registered with animal abuse registry, to provide name and a photograph of themselves to the animal shelter or pet dealer before they purchase or adopt an animal. That pet dealer or animal shelter is then required to check that name and photograph against those in the animal registry. The animal shelter and pet dealer are prohibited from knowingly sell, offer, deliver, or provide an animal to any person who is registered in the animal abuse registry.
Any person who fails to register will be charged with a class A misdemeanor and can be punished by incarceration for up to one year and/or a fine up to $1,000.00. Any animal shelter or pet dealer that violates provisions of the statute will be guilty of a violation on its first offense and subject to a fine up to $500.00. A second offense will be a violation and make them subject to a fine of up to $1,000.00. A third and all subsequent violations will have a maximum fine of up to $1,500.00.
Rincker Law, PLLC works on animal law cases – both with litigation and mediation. Cari is licensed in the Tri-state area and Illinois. She works on both companion animal, livestock and equine law matters.