Nassau County pet owners will now face stricter penalties for leaving their dogs chained outside in extreme weather, following a unanimous vote by the County Legislature to crack down on animal cruelty.
The new legislation, passed March 9, strengthens a 2019 ban on inhumane outdoor tethering. The updated laws are designed to protect local pets from being left tied up and unattended during Long Island freezing winter storms and blistering summer heat waves.
Deputy Minority Leader Arnold W. Drucker, a Plainview Democrat who spearheaded the original legislation, said the new rules give law enforcement the power they need to hold abusers accountable.
“As a lifelong dog and animal lover who introduced and spearheaded the passage of Nassau’s ban on the inhumane outdoor tethering of animals during extreme heat and dangerous cold, I support any proposal that will strengthen the regulations that I helped to establish in 2019,” Drucker said.
For Long Islanders, the unanimous vote signals a zero tolerance policy for animal neglect. Lawmakers are hoping this countywide standard will prevent neighborhood tragedies before they happen.
Following the vote, Drucker urged neighboring towns and villages across the region to adopt identical measures to ensure animal abusers have nowhere to hide on Long Island.
“Now that the Legislature has adopted these important reforms, I encourage all of our partners to opt into this law to create uniform expectations of acceptable conduct in the treatment of our four legged friends,” Drucker said. “Rigorous, well defined regulations ensuring the humane treatment of animals are necessary and appreciated, and it is my expectation that these tougher laws will serve as a powerful deterrent and equip us to prosecute perpetrators of cruel and heinous acts against animals to the fullest extent of the law.
