It's the law

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Just what IS Animal Cruelty?

NY State Law on Animal Cruelty

In New York State, as of 11 /1 /99, it is a felony to intentionally kill or cause serious physical injury to a companion animal.

A "companion animal" is defined as any dog or cat (whether owned, stray or feral) and any domesticated animal kept in or near the owner's or caretaker's household.

CONSOLIDATED LAWS OF NEW YORK
AGRICULTURE AND MARKETS LAW
CHAPTER 69 OF THE CONSOLIDATED LAWS
ARTICLE 26--ANIMALS

s 353. Overdriving, torturing and injuring animals; failure to provide proper sustenance

A person who overdrives, overloads, tortures or cruelly beats or unjustifiably injures, maims, mutilates or kills any animal, whether wild or tame, and whether belonging to himself or to another, or deprives any animal of necessary sustenance, food or drink, or neglects or refuses to furnish it such sustenance or drink, or causes, procures or permits any animal to be overdriven, overloaded, tortured, cruelly beaten, or unjustifiably injured, maimed, mutilated or killed, or to be deprived of necessary food or drink, or who willfully sets on foot, instigates, engages in, or in any way furthers any act of cruelty to any animal, or any act tending to produce such cruelty, is guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment for not more than one year, or by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars, or by both.

The full Article 26 is available at:

http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/nycodes/c4/a58.html

Also,
http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/nycodes/c4/a59.html

covers CARE OF ANIMALS BY PET DEALERS in Article 26A.

BTW, for those who care, the above sites try to place lots of Doubleclick.com cookies on your mahine. Most people don’t care and they’re pretty harmless, but ... just in case you do care.

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ANIMAL RIGHTS LAW

A Project of Professor Gary L. Francione and Adjunct Professor Anna E. Charlton

RUTGERS LAW SCHOOL

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Animal Rights Law is a formal part of the curriculum at Rutgers University School of Law in Newark, New Jersey. Professor Gary Francione and Adjunct Professor Anna Charlton have taught animal rights courses at Rutgers since 1990.

Click for the full article: http://www.animal-law.org/center/mission.htm

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More About Animal Law:

http://www.animal-law.org/news/news.htm#center

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Some "unofficial" Laws, just for fun

The dog is not allowed in the house.  Okay, the dog is allowed in the house, but
only in certain rooms.  The dog is allowed in all rooms, but has to stay off the
furniture.

The dog can get on the old furniture only.  Fine, the dog is allowed on all the
furniture, but is not allowed to sleep with the humans on the bed.  Okay, the
dog is allowed on the bed, but only by invitation.  The dog can sleep on the bed
whenever he wants, but not under the covers.  The dog can sleep under the covers
by invitation only

The dog can sleep under the covers every night.  Humans must ask permission to
sleep under the covers with the dog.


1. If you have to throw up, get into a chair quickly; if you can't manage that
in time, get to an oriental rug or any good rug will do.
2.  Always accompany guests to the bathroom.  It is not necessary to do
anything, just sit and stare.
3.  Do not allow closed doors in any room.  To get a door opened, stand on your
hind legs and hammer with your forepaws.
4.  When supervising cooking, stand behind the left foot of the cook, where you
cannot be seen and will be stepped on, picked up, and consoled with food.
5.  When a door is opened, use it.  When you've ordered an outside door opened
it is important to stand halfway out and think about several things.  It is
especially important during cold weather, rain, snow, or the mosquito season.
6.  Begin people training early.  Humans need to know the basic rules.  They can
be taught if you start early and be consistent.


VISITORS:  Quickly determine which guest is afraid of dogs.  Charge across the
room, barking loudly and leap playfully on this person.  If the human falls down
on the floor and starts crying, lick its face and growl gently to show your
concern.

BARKING:  Because you are a dog, you are expected to bark.  So bark -- a lot. 
Your owners will be very happy to hear you protecting their house.  Especially
late at night while they are sleeping safely in their beds.  There is no more
secure feeling for a human than to keep waking up in the middle of the night and
hearing your protective bark, bark, bark...

LICKING:  Always take a BIG drink from your water dish immediately before
licking your human. Humans prefer clean tongues.  Be ready to fetch your human a
towel.

HOLES:  Rather than digging a BIG hole in the middle of the yard and upsetting
your human, dig a lot of smaller holes all over the yard so they won't notice. 
If you arrange a little pile of dirt on one side of each hole, maybe they'll
think it's gophers.  There are never enough holes in the ground.  Strive daily
to do your part to help correct this problem.

DOORS:  The area directly in front of a door is always reserved for the family
dog to sleep.

THE ART OF SNIFFING:  Humans like to be sniffed.  Everywhere.  It is your duty,
as the family dog, to accommodate them.

DINING ETIQUETTE:  Always sit under the table at dinner, especially when there
are guests, so you can clean up any food that falls on the floor.  It's also a
good time to practice your sniffing.

HOUSEBREAKING:  Housebreaking is very important to humans, so break as much of
the house as possible.

GOING FOR WALKS:  Rules of the road:  When out for a walk with your master or
mistress, never go to the bathroom on your own lawn.  Always use the neighbors.
COUCHES:  It is perfectly permissible to lie on the new couch after all your
humans have gone to bed.

PLAYING:  If you lose your footing while chasing a ball or stick, use the flower
bed to absorb your fall so you don't injure yourself.

CHASING CATS:  When chasing cats, make sure you never -- quite -- catch them. 
It spoils all the fun.

CHEWING:  Make a contribution to the fashion industry. ...Eat a shoe.

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