ELIZABETHTOWN – A government report released this week says stronger legal action is needed to prevent animal cruelty in Essex County.

The report, titled “Animal Cruelty in Essex County: An Assessment and Recommendation for Action,” was created by several members of the Animal Cruelty Task Force and was submitted to the Essex County Board of Supervisors Monday.

Some of the broad issues cited in the report include a need for a new state law putting animal cruelty under penal law, a county “tethering law” to prohibit certain ways people tie up their dogs, the creation of a database to track complaints, a countywide education campaign to inform the public about animal cruelty, and more training for dog control officers, local and county law enforcement and town justices.

District Attorney Kristy Sprague, a co-author of the report, said one thing the state should do is change the animal cruelty laws so they are prosecuted under penal law, a group of laws where most crimes are located.

Sprague said some of the language in state law is “archaic” and that animal cruelty needs to be more clearly defined. Currently, animal cruelty crimes are prosecuted through the New York State Agriculture and Markets Law.

“(Animal cruelty crimes are) very confusing and difficult because it follows its own sentencing guidelines,” Sprague added. “It’s very hard to enforce.”

Some recent cases have been dragging on through the court system, she said.

—

County laws recommended

The report asks the county to take action against chaining an animal, like a dog, for extended periods of time. It suggests the county Board of Supervisors approve a law that would limit the period of time and define how an animal can be tethered.

“Tethering … is widely regarded as an inhumane and unacceptable method of confinement,” the report states. “Tethering leads to physical injury, psychological damage, and aggressive behavior.”

The report says statistics show that chained dogs are more likely to bite or attack people.

In addition to tethering, the report also recommends that the county develop a “comprehensive” policy to deal with animal hoarding. It suggests the county work with mental health agencies and adult protective services to develop the policy. A “legislative solution” is also being explored by the task force committee.

—

Animal cruelty database

One of the recommendations in the report is that dog control officers and local police forces in the county use a standardized form to report any and all potential animal cruelty related crimes. The complaints would then be collected in a centralized database and maintained by the district attorney.

The new form includes the address of the animal, reported owners, phone number, the person who made the complaint, observations made and actions taken.

The observations can include things like “inadequate shelter,” “dead animal,” “abandoned animal,” “underweight” or “lack of food/water.”

Sprague said the new, standardized reporting method could help her prove a possible animal cruelty case. Those forms can be submitted as evidence, say for instance if a dog control officer went to a house several times to investigate a possible crime.

—

“Takes a toll on us”

Jessica Hartley, executive director of the North Country Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said the organization typically deals with animal cruelty cases where the pet is starving. Normally in those cases, she said, the owners do not have enough money to feed the pet and it is left to slowly starve over a long period of time.

“A lot of it is not intentional. It stems from poverty or people not understanding the proper treatment or care of pets,” she said. “They don’t have enough money to provide food.”

Hartley said the best thing an owner who cannot afford to feed their pet can do is to reach out to an organization like hers for help. The NCSPCA gives out donated pet food for those who need it. They will also accept an animal and then put it up for adoption, if the owner can’t afford to keep it.

Hartley recalls one female dog who was brought in with several puppies, on an animal cruelty case. The dog was so thin its ribs were clearly visible. The shelter saved the animal, holding it for a period of about two years before the case was resolved in the court system and the dog could be adopted out.

Hartley said animal cruelty in Essex County is “incredibly serious” and underreported by the authorities and media. People only generally hear about the worst cases, she said.

“We are constantly dealing with cases of cruelty or alleged cruelty,” Hartley said. “It’s always difficult and takes a toll on us, the shelter workers, who see it.”

—

“Step in the right direction”

The Essex County Animal Cruelty Task Force was created in 2013 at the request of Board of Supervisors Chairman Randy Douglas. In a press release he thanked the group for trying to find solutions to the problem.

“These initial steps in educating the general public and providing better training for our public officials is definitely a step in the right direction,” Douglas wrote.

The full report is expected to be reviewed by the county’s Public Safety Committee. That committee will then make a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors for their own consideration and implementation.

Some of the reports recommendations will be matters that Sprague can change directly. Other initiatives in the report will be moved forward by county Attorney Daniel Manning.

The co-authors of the report include Sprague, Hartley, Sharon Boisen, Anita Deming, Diane Dodd, Kim Farnum, Manning, Bonnie MacLeod, Carol Muller, Essex County Sheriffs Deputy David Reynolds, Essex County Sheriffs Deputy Robert Rice, and State Police Zone 3 Commander John Tibbitts.

—

Report animal abuse

-Essex County Sheriff’s Office: 518-873-2116

-Franklin County Sheriff’s Office: 518-483-3304

-New York State Police: 518-897-2000