Agriculture and Markets Law sections 353 and 353-a criminalize neglect and cruelty to animals, providing a uniform statewide basis for prosecuting animal hoarding cases.
Section 353 makes it a misdemeanor to overdrive, torture, deprive of necessary sustenance, or unjustifiably injure any animal. Section 353-a (Buster's Law) elevates aggravated cruelty to a class E felony. These provisions apply universally and permit law enforcement and humane societies to seize animals from hoarding situations regardless of municipal animal control rules. Courts may impose ownership bans following conviction.
Hoarders face misdemeanor charges, fines up to 1,000 dollars, up to one year in jail, felony charges for aggravated cases, mandatory animal forfeiture, and bans on future ownership.
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See how Schenectady's animal hoarding rules stack up against other locations.
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