CARING FOR OUR ANIMAL COMPANIONS

A Column from the Desk of Assemblyman Karl Brabenec (R,C-Deerpark)

As Albany continues to highlight and focus on big-ticket items that affect the everyday lives of all New Yorkers, something I’ve been spending my time on to ensure it doesn’t slip through the cracks is a number of animal care bills I’ve been continually championing for the better part of the 2020s. They’re not as high-profile as other issues we see in the news, but the proper care of animals, particularly pets, is something I’m continually looking to see improved in our state. One such issue is the tethering of dogs and providing them with adequate and comfortable shelters. New York laws surrounding the matter are written with little specifics, and in some cases across the state are contradictory depending on the local jurisdiction. My bill, A.5854, would set out to ensure dog owners are clearly instructed on how to properly tether and shelter man’s best friend, especially when considering extreme temperatures and weather and further highlight safer, more comfortable tethering specifications and techniques. Another issue I’m hoping to help push into the spotlight is that of animal abandonment, an unfortunately more common occurrence than many of us likely realize. I signed on to a colleague’s bill, A.4533, to punish pet owners who fail to act as responsible owners. Just because a pet is yours does not mean you have the right to treat it poorly. As the legislative year goes on, I hope my colleagues and I continue to make strides in animal care work. Despite these issues and discussions not being as high-profile as other matters of the day, I believe they are nonetheless important, and I’m hoping this work will result in a net positive for both pet owners and the pets themselves. Pets are an example of our responsibility to the world around us, and if we are going to continue to have pets in our society, we have to continue to do good by them. 

Assemblyman Brabenec represents the 98th District, which includes the city of Port Jervis, the towns of Deerpark, Greenville, Mount Hope, Wawayanda, Minisink, Warwick, Tuxedo and portions of the towns of Goshen, Monroe and Ramapo. For more information, please visit his Official Website at www.yourfavoriteassemblyman.com