Putnam Lawmakers Study Pet Abuse Registry Law

PUTNAM COUNTY, N.Y. -- Putnam County officials are considering a countywide animal cruelty registry that would track criminal history of prospective pet owners, a move prompted in part by a recent case of an abused dog found in Carmel, according to News 1.

The measure would require shelters and pet stores to check out prospective owners before selling or adopting out an animal, News 12 says. 

Animal abuse registries aren't uncommon, in fact, Rockland County officials agreed to start such a tracking mechanism in 2011. It followed the lead of Suffolk County, one of the first counties in the nation to have an animal abuse registry, according to Animal Legal Defense Fund.

Recently, Tennessee became the first state to start such an online registry statewide, and lawmakers in New Jersey are also considering it, according to The Wall Street Journal. 

In Putnam, officials note that currently owners who abuse animals can just go get another animal. In the Carmel case, an abused dog named Douglas was found on the side of the road, News 12 says.

Click here to see the News 12 report.

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