Suffolk DA warns animal abusers could be removed from registry under clean slate law
The district attorney argued that the registry was created to provide transparency and help prevent repeat offenses by allowing the public to know who has been convicted of abusing animals.
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Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney is warning that dozens of convicted animal abusers could soon be removed from the county’s Animal Abuse Registry because of New York’s Clean Slate Act, potentially undermining the registry’s purpose of protecting animals and informing the public.
The Suffolk County Animal Abuse Registry currently lists individuals convicted of animal abuse offenses and requires them to remain on the registry for 10 years. However, Tierney said many of those convictions could be sealed after just three years under the state’s Clean Slate Act, forcing the county to remove offenders’ names from the public database.
“Those names would be removed from the registry,” Tierney said.
The district attorney argued that the registry was created to provide transparency and help prevent repeat offenses by allowing the public to know who has been convicted of abusing animals.
“The purpose of the animal abuse registry is to be open and transparent so people are aware of it,” Tierney said. “If their names are expunged from the list, they could purchase pets and the cycle of abuse could continue.”
The issue comes just days after concerns were raised about the registry’s maintenance. Earlier this week, Suffolk County added nine names to the registry after being contacted by News 12 regarding a lack of recent updates.
Most animal abuse convictions in New York are misdemeanors, according to Tierney. Under the Clean Slate Act, those convictions would generally be sealed after three years, meaning names could begin coming off the registry by the end of 2027.
Tierney is calling on state lawmakers to amend the law and create an exception that would allow animal abuse offenders to remain on the registry for the full 10-year period.
“It’s a common-sense tweak. Let’s get it done,” he said.
Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Long Island Press Secretary Gordon Tepper responded to the concerns, saying the governor remains committed to public safety and animal welfare.
“Governor Hochul remains committed to the safety of every New Yorker, and that includes the feathered and furry friends that call our state home,” Tepper said in a statement. “The Governor will review all legislation that passes both houses of the state legislature.”
Any change to the law would require approval from the New York State Legislature before it could be enacted.
