To the Editor: It has come to my attention that there are 5 Senate bills and 17 Assembly bills related to animal cruelty that have had little or no action in the New York State legislature. One of …
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To the Editor:
It has come to my attention that there are 5 Senate bills and 17 Assembly bills related to animal cruelty that have had little or no action in the New York State legislature.
One of these Senate bills (# S 5172) introduced by Sen. Patti Ritchie, (R) Heuvelton would silence any undercover whistleblowers reporting agricultural animal cruelty.
Those persons would be subject to a possible $1,000 fine or a year in prison if found guilty.
If this bill passes cases of farm animal abuse that have been brought to the nation’s attention and caused a public outrage will never come to light again. This is wrong.
We are in the process of reenergizing a group which was formed over a year ago to address animal abuse; the Animal Cruelty Coalition of St. Lawrence County.
The group is being renamed The Animal Cruelty Responders.
We have unsolved cases of horse neglect, animals who have been scalded, animals being beaten to death, animals that have had gasoline poured on them and then set on fire, and the case of the dog put in a plastic bag and left to die in a snow bank.
It is time for action and I am asking the public who care about these issues, to get involved with us.
If you have a computer please go to public.leginfo.state.ny.us to retrieve the bills before the legislature.
Also check NYSHA (New York State Humane Association), the ASPCA web site or The League of Humane Voters of New York which will give you information on what bills to support or to oppose and why.
Then let your legislators know that you want animals treated in a humane way--all animals; both companion animals and animals raised for food….and that you VOTE!
We need to oppose Sen. Patti Ritchie’s bill (S 5172).
We cordially invite you to attend the next Animal Cruelty Responders meeting, which will be on July 19, 2011 at 6:00 pm in the Potsdam Police Station community room. Come with your ideas of how we can make St. Lawrence County more animal friendly. We need your input. Please contact me at rrinke@twcny.rr.com . Do not forget that statistics tell us that a very high percentage of animal abusers turn into people abusers.
Rita Rinke
Massena