S 1507: Includes reckless operation of a motor vehicle resulting in the death or serious injury of a companion animal in the definition of aggravated animal cruelty.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 1507 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE January 10, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. O'MARA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Agriculture AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to includ- ing reckless operation of a motor vehicle resulting in the death or serious injury of a companion animal as aggravated animal cruelty The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 353-a of the agriculture and 2 markets law, as added by chapter 118 of the laws of 1999, is amended to 3 read as follows: 4 1. A person is guilty of aggravated cruelty to animals when, with no 5 justifiable purpose, [he or she] such person: (a) intentionally kills or 6 intentionally causes serious physical injury to a companion animal with 7 aggravated cruelty. For purposes of this section, "aggravated cruelty" 8 shall mean conduct which: (i) is intended to cause extreme physical 9 pain; or (ii) is done or carried out in an especially depraved or sadis- 10 tic manner; or 11 (b) causes the death or causes serious physical injury to a companion 12 animal while recklessly operating a motor vehicle. 13 § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall 14 have become a law. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD04393-01-5