What's happening
This bill expands the definition of aggravated cruelty to animals to include harm caused to animals during the commission of a felony.
Why it matters
Expands liability for animal cruelty. so that anyone committing a felony can also be charged with aggravated cruelty to animals if an animal is intentionally harmed or killed during the crime, even if animal cruelty was not the main intent.
Bridges a legal gap. where animals harmed as a result of other serious crimes—such as burglary, assault, or drug offenses—would now trigger additional felony-level animal cruelty charges, potentially increasing penalties for offenders.
Signals greater societal value on animal protection. by acknowledging that cruelty to animals, even as a byproduct of other criminal acts, is a serious concern deserving of heightened legal consequences.
Could deter collateral harm to animals. during the commission of felonies, as perpetrators may now face more severe charges if they intentionally injure or kill animals while committing other crimes.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Expand Animal Cruelty Protections
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Referred to agriculture
- Referred to agriculture
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
470
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE (Prefiled)
January 8, 2025
Introduced by Sens. TEDISCO, ADDABBO, HELMING, O'MARA, SANDERS, SEPULVE- DA, WEIK -- 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 expanding the definition of aggravated cruelty to animals to include harm to animals during the commission of a felony
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as "Kirby and Quigley's Law".
§ 2. Subdivision 1 of section 353-a of the agriculture and markets law, as added by chapter 118 of the laws of 1999, is amended to read as follows:
1. A person is guilty of aggravated cruelty to animals when[,]: either
(a) with no justifiable purpose, [he or she] such person intentionally kills or intentionally causes serious physical injury, as defined in subdivision twenty-nine of section one hundred eight of this chapter, to a companion animal with aggravated cruelty[.]; or
(b) in the course of commission of a felony, or of immediate flight therefrom, such person causes intentional physical injury, as defined in subdivision twenty-eight of section one hundred eight of this chapter, or death to a companion animal.
For purposes of this section, "aggravated cruelty" shall mean conduct which: (i) is intended to cause extreme physical pain; or (ii) is done or carried out in an especially depraved or sadistic manner.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01826-01-5
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to expand- ing the definition of aggravated cruelty to animals to include harm to animals during the commission of a felony
Purpose
To enhance laws relating to animal cruelty by including harm caused during the commission of a felony or flight there from.
Summary of provisions
This act shall be known and may be cited as "Kirby & Quigley's Law." Subdivision 1 of section 353-a of the agriculture and markets law, is amended to criminalize the intentional physical injury or death of a companion animal that is caused during the course of commission of a felony or the immediate flight there from.
Justification
On the evening of February 17th, 2016, Denise Krohn returned to her Florida home in Montgomery County, after being out for two hours, to find her house was broken into and she experienced the horror of seeing her family's two beloved Goldendoodle dogs, "Kirby" and "Quigley," lying on the floor in pools of blood from gunshot wounds.
In recent years, cases of drug traffickers cutting open the bellies of puppies to transport liquid heroin into this country opened our eyes to the depths criminals will sink to accomplish their criminal enterprises. Although the current definition of aggravated cruelty to animals will most likely apply to the actions of these depraved individuals, we cannot ignore the potential harm to other innocent animals misused or even killed in the commission of felonies.
Furthermore, in their total disregard for the lives of pets, arsonists and burglars often perpetrate horrendous acts of cruelty to human victims by not only destroying or stealing property, but also by harming their beloved animals that are either left to perish in flames or harmed by other means in their attempt to protect their masters from intruders.
This bill enhances aggravated cruelty to animals statute by including specific provisions related to criminal activity, thus allowing society to hold criminals responsible for the full extent of the harm they cause.
Legislative history
01/30/15: S.2936 REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE
05/12/15: S.2936Passed Senate died in assembly
01/06/16: S.2936 Referred to agriculture
03/07/16: S.2936 PASSED SENATE
01/10/17: S.1680 REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE
01/17/17: S.1680 COMMITTEE DISCHARGED AND COMMITTED TO RULES
01/17/17: S.1680 ORDERED TO THIRD READING CAL. 41
01/30/17: S.1680 PASSED SENATE
01/30/17: S.1680 DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY
01/30/17: S.1680 referred to agriculture
01/03/18: S.1680 died in assembly
01/03/18: S.1680 returned to senate
01/03/18: S.1680 REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE
05/23/18: S.1680 AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO AGRICULTURE
05/23/18: S.1680 PRINT NUMBER 1680A
06/05/18: S.1680A REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO RULES
06/05/18: S.1680A COMMITTEE DISCHARGED AND COMMITTED TO RULES
06/06/18: S.1680A ORDERED TO THIRD READING CAL.1531
06/06/18: S.1680A PASSED SENATE
06/06/18: S.1680A DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY
06/06/18: S.1680A referred to codes
06/06/18: S.1680A referred to codes
01/09/19: S.186 REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE
02/11/19: S.186 COMMITTEE DISCHARGED AND COMMITTED TO DOMESTIC ANIMAL WELFARE
05/22/19: S.186 1ST REPORT CAL.889
05/29/19: S.186 2ND REPORT CAL.
05/30/19: S.186 ADVANCED TO THIRD READING
06/20/19: S.186 COMMITTED TO RULES
01/08/20: S.186 REFERRED TO DOMESTIC ANIMAL WELFARE
02/03/20: S.186 1ST REPORT CAL.323
02/04/20: S.186 2ND REPORT CAL.
02/05/20: S.186 ADVANCED TO THIRD READING
01/06/21: S.197 REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE 01/05/22: S.197 REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE
01/04/23: S.96 REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE
01/03/24: S.96 REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE
Fiscal implications
None
Effective date
This act shall take immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.