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
