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Animal abuser registry proposed for Onondaga County

Ellen Abbott
/
WRVO News
Onondaga County Sheriff Gene Conway announced the proposed animal abuser registry Monday.

Onondaga County could soon be the latest county in the state to follow a trend that puts animal abusers on a comprehensive list.

Stephanie Heath, of the Cuse Pit Crew in Syracuse, says right now there’s nothing stopping someone who’s been convicted of animal abuse from adopting an animal from her shelter.

“When an adopter comes to a shelter, they have to do an application. And we can only go so far with an application process, and a home check and a reference check and a vet reference.”

So she is all for creating an animal abuser registry in Onondaga County.

“This registry will allow us to check it, and make sure the person standing in front of us is not on the registry.”

Onondaga County Sheriff Gene Conway says the registry would work like the sex offender registry, with a judge making a determination who goes on it. Conway says there are only a few counties in New York state that have an animal abuse registry, and most of them are downstate. And it’s an issue his deputies run into, many times, when they are investigating child abuse cases.

“When our deputies respond to calls, we certainly see situations when animals are left in conditions that are really cruel, and that’s when we come in contact with the shelters and certainly the SPCA,” said Conway.

In a perfect world, Conway says he would like to see a statewide registry, and will advocate for that. Onondaga County lawmakers say they’ll fast track the issue so a registry could be in place by the end of summer.

Ellen produces news reports and features related to events that occur in the greater Syracuse area and throughout Onondaga County. Her reports are heard regularly in regional updates in Morning Edition and All Things Considered.